Epic: A Joining
by Relyan
Summary: Jacen’s fight against the Empire continues as he searches for its next superweapon, and his increasing skill in the Force leads him to a confrontation with Darth Vader that will present the young Jedi with a choice which will determine his destiny forever
1. Chapter One

**Epic**

_The best way out is always through. - Robert Frost_

Part two: A Joining

Pangios was a small, semi-backwater planet located in the middle of the galaxy.

The planet's thick atmosphere and constant rainfall provided sufficient cover for the hundreds of pirates and outlaws that visited the planet's surface each day.

Pangios was close enough to Courscant for outlaws to keep an eye on their various forms of 'business', but it was also far enough away - and small enough - to prevent any unwanted Imperial attention. That wasn't to say that the Empire wasn't aware of the nefarious nature of Pangios. Local squadrons of stormtroopers occasionally helped to keep the more rowdy individuals in line, but the Empire hadn't been so concerned about the widespread lack of respect for legalities since the Rebellion had proved itself a viable threat. The Empire didn't want to waste valuable troops and ships on what it considered to be petty criminals.

Of course, the petty criminals had taken full advantage of the absence of the Emperor's hand in planetary affairs.

Thus the conveniently located planet had become a sort of blatant hideaway from the Empire and various crime rings. After all, who would ever hide where your enemies could find you?

_Yes,_ Jacen mused as his blue gaze wandered coolly across the club, _you would have to be a fool to do something so completely stupid._

He sighed silently to himself and slid more comfortably against the spongy wall behind him.

It had been three years since the Alliance had destroyed the Death Star, three years since the Empire had destroyed their base on Yavin, and three years since Jacen had seen his friends.

Shortly after the battle of Yavin the leaders of the Alliance had approached him about sending him on a mission to gather intelligence. They had informed him of their suspicion that the Empire would not stop creating a superweapon of some kind, even with the destruction of the Death Star.

Jacen was to assume another identity, search for and possibly uncover the nature of this new weapon - if the Alliance's suspicions were true.

Others had been approached about the mission, but as it involved a great deal of secrecy - to the extent that the agent would not be able to contact anyone directly affiliated with the Alliance, even in the case of extreme emergency - and the possibility of capture and death was nearly certain, no one had yet to agree to the mission or the terms set by the leaders of the Alliance.

Jacen, however, had accepted the dangerous mission with little contemplation.

His grip on his drink tightened carelessly and he sighed again. He didn't know exactly what had prompted him to accept a mission which clearly called for his death at some point. Even if the mission was a success the Alliance could not afford to have him affiliated with them in any way; the danger of revealing the Rebellion's secrets was far too great to let Jacen live even in the best of circumstances.

At first he had told himself that it had been his own need to break away from the shadow that seemed to fall on him whenever Luke was around. He enjoyed his friend's company immensely and the countless times that they had trained together since the battle had furthered Jacen's goal of becoming a Jedi, but Luke's accomplishments in that single battle overshadowed Jacen's presence whenever another person would interrupt their company.

Jacen was proud of and admired Luke for his actions during that battle, but the more that his friend rose in the small circles of the Alliance, the more that Jacen felt that he was being shunned - especially by those pilots who blamed him for Biggs' death and his hesitation to destroy Vader's ship.

Jacen blinked. He didn't want to think about that right now.

He and Luke were still friends; they had practiced their lightsaber techniques together - usually with one of them holding Luke's saber while the other shot with a blaster on a low setting so they wouldn't fry each other - they had flown together on a few minor missions and most importantly they had grown together in the Force.

Jacen hadn't heard from Luke in nearly two years now - his mission forbade it - but he knew that the rebels had put up a new base on the ice world Hoth. He was sure that Luke was there, and Jacen suppressed a tight smile as he thought of his desert-raised friend serving his duty to the 'Great Cause' - something they had jokingly called the Alliance - on a giant snow globe.

Jacen's eyelids lowered, though they did not close entirely.

He hoped that Luke and the others were doing all right.

Jacen brought the dirty glass in his hands to his mouth and took a gulp of the brackish, bitter liquid.

_Maarika beer_, he thought disgustedly. _There isn't a more pleasantly foul beverage in the galaxy._

Jacen set the Maarika back on the table in front of him and stared lazily at his wobbling reflection in the dark liquor.

It was amazing what three years of near-complete isolation could do to a person.

He had naturally grown taller in the years he had spent apart from his companions and the Alliance, and though it was impossible to see in the beverage, his hair had deepened from a dark blonde to a somewhat light brown. His hair was longer, too. His thick tawny hair reached to his broad shoulders, but Jacen kept it cropped so he would have no need of a tie.

In contrast to his hair, his eyes had lightened to a pale blue that, like his father's, could shift to different shades and even different colors that reflected his mood. When he was calm, Jacen's eyes were the color of a clear sky; when he was bereaved his eyes became pools of the deepest sapphire; and when he was angered they became an icy beryl that easily altered to light viridian and back.

An unnatural change had taken in place of these subtle differences from the boy he had been at 17. Jacen's face, as well as his demeanor, did not echo the psyche of a normal 20-year-old man.

Jacen looked to be nearly 25 or 26, a change that he attributed to his harsh lifestyle. He could not, he reasoned, have passed as a smuggler or pirate without hardening some features.

His jaw was set in silent defiance, which gave the observer the impression that Jacen had a permanent scowl on his face, though that was hardly the case. Some of his hair fell awkwardly into his eyes though Jacen rarely pulled it back; it was much better to keep your face concealed as much as possible around scum such as he was used to dealing with, but not covered enough so that you could not freely observe your surroundings.

The sacrifice of his innocence had been necessary for the completion of this mission, and Jacen thought that though he may regret his decision to do so someday, for now the sacrifice was entirely worth it.

Well, almost worth it. Jacen wasn't terribly fond of dealing with these people, even after the years he had spent spooning their types for information of all kinds. Because that was what he was supposed to do: gather as much information as possible about the secrets of the Empire and turn in his findings through various agents of agents of agents of the Rebellion.

So far, Jacen thought, he had done a pretty good job of it all. The regulars on Pangios believed him to be nothing more than a class C scoundrel who had rubbed the wrong people the wrong way and needed to keep low for a while. Except for the occasional snippet of information from his few criminal and spy contacts, and even less occasionally from the general population of lawless scum and locals, he kept to himself.

The locals liked that. They knew as well as anyone else with business on Pangios that too much information about the wrong - or right - person would mostly likely lead to an unpleasant end for the inquirer.

And so the locals, like Jacen, never asked many questions about a person's business. They just gave them what they wanted - within reason - and forgot their existence as soon as they were out of sight.

Jacen sighed. He had been to too many planets and systems on his three year journey than he cared to remember. Most of his leads or hunches ended up being dead ends, and he had only been able to gather minimal knowledge about the Empire's plans at most. He had been so frustrated with his lack of progress that he had been ready to go to the Alliance and hand in his rank, but luck - or the Force - had been with him.

He had been in another club on an alien world, seeking out potential 'clients' when he had happened to overhear some pilots talking about Pangios. Apparently one of the pilots had hit a rough spot and needed a place to lie low, but Jacen hadn't cared about that. He had only listened to the conversation long enough to gather that Pangios attracted desperate and wanted persons like Sooka flies to a lightsaber - where there is opportunity, crime flocks to it.

Immediately Jacen had set out for the illicit world. Here he was known as Alix Talos, a third-rate criminal and seller of information to those who could afford it.

The way Jacen saw it, it took a criminal to catch a criminal; he could gather information and then sell it in return for information.

It might have been low, and it was definitely beneath him as a human being to do so, but knowledge was power. And Jacen planned on exploiting that power to the fullest extent until his mission was complete.

Jacen glanced at the chrono on his left wrist and carefully subdued the frustration he felt growing inside. He was waiting for a meeting with one of his regular contacts, but the scheduled meeting time had already passed.

He understood the importance of patience, especially in situations such as he was in, but he had never been a patient person and the knowledge that this contact could possibly - however unlikely - give him the intelligence he needed to move on from this hellhole of a planet made him even more frustrated, especially knowing that he had to wait.

Jacen scanned the club once more but couldn't see any sign of his contact. Frustration and anger finally taking control of his better judgment, Jacen roughly pushed his hair out of his eyes and scowled at his glass of now flat liquor.

_I really am a fool_, he told himself, his thoughts returning to their previous track. He smiled lightly. _And I'm the only one in the Alliance - or the galaxy, for that matter - to be wise enough to admit it._

"Oh lucky me, I actually get to be graced with a smile from you, Talos."

Jacen did not look up from his drink, but his smiled widened slightly in combination of the irony of his thoughts and the voice from his overdue contact.

It was time to get down to business.


	2. Chapter Two

**Epic: A Joining**

AN: Thanks to **Onono **and **lilyskywalker **for their reviews. I am glad that you like the story so far.

Melanae Audura was a beautiful woman. She was a Twi'leck, with vibrant blue skin and deep violet eyes. She moved with the silent grace that was common to her species; a grace that spoke of confidence and exhorted an attitude of flirtatious flippancy, but Jacen knew better. This woman was a self-trained killer.

Her reputation as a spy – turned - assassin had earned her great respect from mercenaries and assassins around the galaxy. Mercy and doubt was unknown to her; once she had a job, she took care of her client's 'problems' quickly. Tales of her more prominent work were common talk in space ports, and criminals always got a little unnerved when her name was mentioned.

Jacen had seen enough of Melanae's talent to know that the fear was not misplaced, and he had quickly learned through his dealings with her that it was always better for your health to listen to Melanae when she spoke. Melanae had powerful employers – most of them were heads of their own illicit organizations - and any slip by Jacen could easily cost him his life.

Luckily for him he had information that the beautiful assassin needed, and from that need they had formed a unique relationship.

Melanae came to Jacen with knowledge that she had acquired from her various employers (Jacen had discovered very early in his mission that keeping tabs on all the large crime rings provided for easy information), and in return Jacen would give Melanae whatever she required by means of intelligence (usually gossip or rumors) that he had picked up from the outlaws on Pangios.

Melanae used the shards of information that she obtained from Jacen to assist her in her various jobs, or to pass on to her employers.

Although Melanae was clearly the superior in their relationship, the assassin's constant reliance on Jacen's ability to get desperately needed information from people caused him to have the upper hand. It was a precarious position for him, one that Melanae's powerful presence reminded him of every time they had a meeting.

Jacen shrugged slightly. He had already acknowledged that his life would be precarious on this mission, and his constant exposure to death had made him indifferent to it.

Some people would have considered Jacen's apathetic view as another loss of his innocence. Jacen called it survival.

He raised his head and his blue eyes met with the assassin's violet.

Melanae was standing before Jacen with her arms crossed over her chest. She wore tight-fitting pants and a semi-halter top that exposed her stomach with a bracelet tight on her upper right arm. From her position Jacen could barely see her only visible weapon – a blaster, but he wasn't fooled by her light appearance. He knew that blades were hidden in her boots, along with half a dozen other tiny but deadly weapons that she had discreetly placed about her person.

"You're late."

Melanae rolled her eyes at Jacen's statement.

"Geez, hello to you, too," she said as she sat down at the table across from Jacen.

Jacen didn't bother to respond to her. Instead he gave the assassin a look that clearly stated that he expected a better excuse than that.

Melanae recognized that look. "Okay, okay. I was busy taking care of a … client."

Jacen didn't miss the way her eyes flickered with dark mirth and he knew that somewhere nearby some poor soul had just met with a very painful end.

Melanae shuddered. "I hate it when you stare at me like that."

Jacen smiled inwardly. Melanae was no idiot. He knew that she acted careless to fool her enemies. Even now, as she feigned interest in the artwork on the bar's walls, Jacen knew that she was taking in her surroundings, silently assessing every person in the bar and determining whether they posed a threat to her.

Obviously satisfied that no one would bother her, Melanae turned back to face Jacen.

"Okay. What I have isn't much, but I take what I can get."

Jacen waited patiently for the assassin to continue.

"I have located a guy who has valuable information that you would be interested in."

Jacen cocked his head to the side slightly, indicating that he didn't quite believe Melanae.

"'Valuable information'?"

Melanae shrugged. "That's what he said." She sat back in her chair. "I … talked to him for a bit."

A slight shiver made its way down Jacen's back. He knew that Melanae had done more than just talk with this guy. If the guy turned out to be telling the truth, he hoped that he was still in a condition to speak, or move for that matter.

"He sounded legit to me."

Jacen nodded. If Melanae thought this guy was telling the truth, he probably was.

"So what did you get from him?"

Jacen watched as a sharp flame rose in her eyes.

"Not much," she growled. "The guy wouldn't speak to me – said he would only talk to you and no one else."

Jacen was surprised that Melanae had been unable to get any information from this guy. She had a unique, though often painful, way of handling difficult clients. But he was also surprised that this guy had heard of him.

"He knows me?"

"Apparently." Melanae leaned over the table. "Look, Talos, I can't keep up with everyone you talk to – it's not my job. I give you what you want and you give me what I want. That's it."

Jacen smiled at her though he sensed the threat under her words.

"I know, Melanae, I know."

The assassin leaned back and the flame in her eyes receded. "Good."

"Now what kind of information does this contact of yours have?"

"Well, this guy was on Hoth when the Imps arrived."

Jacen's heart stopped. He blinked and looked at Melanae. "What did you say?"

Melanae stared at Jacen in surprise. "You meant that you didn't know? Geez, Talos, you really need to pay more attention."

Jacen's eyes flashed a dangerous icy blue at her and Melanae quickly continued.

"Turns out that the Rebs' new base was on Hoth, if you believe that anyone could survive on that ice cube. Well, the Empire found out about it and attacked the base with a hug convoy of ships. The Imps completely destroyed the base. According to our friend, who was there during the battle, it was a very nasty business." She shrugged. "Imps aren't known for mercy, or much else for that matter."

Jacen couldn't believe it. Hoth had been such a perfect location – it was too damn cold for anyone to even consider the possibility that the Alliance was there. And the asteroid field surrounding the planet made it nearly impossible for ships to pass through. Thus one ever thought of Hoth for a settlement or any kind of operation. After all, no one was that stupid.

But if what Melanae said was true – and he didn't sense any deceit coming from her – then the Empire had found and attacked the base. Jacen wondered how the Empire had managed to find the Rebels, but he was more concerned with the welfare of his friends. Had they survived the attack? Were they captured? And if they escaped, where did they go?

Not for the first time Jacen cursed his assignment. He knew that the Rebellion had outposts spread throughout the galaxy, but without communication he had no idea where they could be located. He knew that his ignorance was necessary, but he hated not knowing what was going on.

Jacen inwardly sighed. Melanae was right. He really did need to pay closer attention to the Empire's movements.

He didn't understand how he could have missed this attack, though.

Pangios was close enough to Imperial City that a blow against the Rebellion would have been aired across the galaxy by the Emperor, but he had heard nothing from anyone onplanet until his meeting with Melanae.

Jacen frowned. Something about this silence bothered him; somehow it didn't seem … right.

Melanae interrupted his thoughts.

"Anyway, this guy says that he heard something that you would be interested in. Really interested in. But he will only meet with you, alone and unarmed."

Jacen raised an eyebrow. "Unarmed? Is he expecting some kind of trouble?"

"Isn't everyone?" Melanae grinned widely at Jacen, and he had the sudden impression that it was his encounter with this woman that had made the contact so determined to leave all weapons behind.

A tiny warning told Jacen not to accept the assassin's offer, but he ignored it. He desperately needed information to uncover the Empire's secret weapon, and perhaps he could find out what happened to his friends as well. This was an opportunity that he could not pass up.

Jacen nodded his assent. "Okay, I'll meet with him. When and where?"

Melanae's smile faded a little as she became serious again.

"I'll take care of everything."


	3. Chapter Three

AN: Thank the lord that school is out! Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou! Ah, sorry about the slow update. I have been celebrating the end of my classes with visits to theme parks and job interviews. School may be out, but I have to get a job if I want to study in Australia (and the airfare is not cheap, unfortunately). Oh well, such is life. One other thing: see if you can spot the similarities in this chapter with other events from the trilogy and A Journey (they were not intentional; I recognized them as I was editing this chapter). Good luck!

As for my readers:

**mikigm31: **I am glad that you are enjoying the story. Your comments were really encouraging.

**lilyskywalker: **Sorry about the cliffie, but I can guarantee that the next few chapters will be moving pretty fast. Fair warning, though: I enjoy cliffhangers, so the majority of the future chapters will end with them – it's a way to keep the interest high, I suppose.

**Onono: **Thanks for you review! It is nice to know that people like the story.

**Moonjava**: Thank you for your comments and I am glad that you enjoyed Silent Destiny.

Jacen cautiously walked around the area where he was supposed to meet Melanae's contact, searching for any indication of the man. He wasn't sure from which direction the man would appear, and Jacen knew that it was best to meet him face forward in case the man tried to shoot him from behind. Jacen didn't believe for a second that this man would come unarmed, and the weight of his hidden blaster against his leg served as a comfortable reminder of that fact. He may be young, but Jacen was no fool.

He scanned the area again, but still could not see or feel anything.

He was in an older part of the city – buildings towered above him, but they had long since ceased to be used – and, as was usual for Pangios, it was raining. Hard.

Jacen wore a long jacket to keep him dry and a hood partly covered his face. He hoped that this contact would not be as concealed, though it really didn't matter so long as he got what information he needed.

Jacen scowled as his right foot sank a few inches into the sopping ground. He did not enjoy waiting for this man in this weather, and he was _not_ going to be happy if the guy decided not to show up.

A fluttering sensation filled him, and Jacen stopped struggling to free his foot from the muck and looked up, peering through his cloak into the rain.

Although he couldn't see anyone, Jacen knew that he was not alone.

He grunted once as his foot came free and headed in the direction of the presence that he sensed.

It was coming from behind one of the buildings. The rain slowed in its descent as he neared the building, its tall form acting as a small umbrella as the rain sloshed against it.

Jacen stopped in his approach and waited; he knew that whoever was behind the building would come out when they were ready. He folded his arms across his chest and focused on the presence just behind the building. He could wait.

The other being must have known that Jacen was waiting, for not five minutes after his approach the presence that Jacen had sensed walked out from behind the building and in to sight in front of Jacen.

The man – Jacen could tell that it was a man from where he was standing – was dressed similarly as Jacen. He wore a long cloak that covered his face and upper body from the rain and human sight, dark pants that were slick with water, and knee-high boots speckled with mud and grass.

As he looked the man over, Jacen knew that this was Melanae's contact. He finished with his observations and waited for the man to identify himself.

A few more moments passed as the man took in Jacen's appearance, and then he stepped forward, pushing his hood back as he did so.

Jacen's eyes widened momentarily as he recognized the individual before him, but he quickly resumed an air of guarded indifference.

"Alix," the man greeted with a tight nod.

"Gent," Jacen returned.

Gent Dearran was a somewhat tall man; he stood at least a head over Jacen. His hair, like the rest of him, was dark. In the rain it looked black, but Jacen knew it to be a deep brown. His eyes were slanted and matched the color of his hair, and the man's entire body screamed confidence brought on by decades of experience.

Gent was a smuggler – one of the best, in a few circles – and a general outlaw. He had been in more scrapes than Jacen cared to know about, but the man's ingenuity – or insanity – was well known. Han had gotten the idea to 'modify' his precious _Falcon _from Gent, as well as a good number of maneuvers. Jacen believed that the triple somersault Han had used to escape from those star destroyers years ago on Tatooine was originally something that Gent had cooked up, but he could be mistaken. Each smuggler was crazy in his or her own right, so there was no telling exactly which moves were purely original or modified imitations.

Jacen lifted his own hood and stared hard at the man before him.

"What is it that you want, Gent?"

Jacen knew that Gent had information valuable to his mission and he was anxious to get it, but he also knew that Gent would not divulge anything until he got something in exchange for his knowledge. Nothing in the galaxy was ever free, and people liked to have some form of security for exchanging information.

Gent's eyes glittered.

"You know what I want, Alix," he growled. "My ship."

Jacen refrained from rolling his eyes. _That _was what he wanted? Jacen sighed to himself. He should have known that Gent would ask for that, after all, it was what he had been chasing for nearly two years.

When Jacen had first started research for his mission, the Alliance had sent him to a remote planet and dropped him off without any form of transportation. The leaders of the Alliance had explained to Jacen that they could not take the risk of giving him a ship and someone recognizing it. Jacen had to find his own means of getting from planet to planet without the help of the Alliance.

Jacen had stayed on that initial planet for a few months working and gathering what intelligence he could in his spare time. After a while he managed to find transportation off – planet and arrived on Laayha, a rocky and mountainous planet. There Jacen stayed until he had enough credits to buy a small ship.

He found a seller – an old man named Rydar – who had a ship that Jacen could use, and it was cheap. However, Gent was also looking at buying the ship. He was in need of a few more ships for his smuggling, and he needed one that looked too small to be able to hold large cargo, and thus would not be boarded by the Imperials. He planned on modifying the craft so that it could carry shipments without encountering any trouble. Unfortunately Gent was offering more for the ship than Jacen could afford, so Jacen had used the Force to nudge Rydar in to accepting his offer. By the time that Gent had found out the ship was sold, Jacen was already long gone and off – planet.

Apparently Gent was still upset about the incident.

"Your ship? It's mine, Gent. I paid for it."

"You stole it!"

Jacen rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm not giving you my ship. Now are you going to tell me what I need to know or am I going to have to leave?"

Gent grinned cruelly. "It doesn't matter, Alix, cuz you won't be leaving." The smuggler's grin widened. "At least not alive."

Jacen's expression didn't change as three armed men stepped out from behind other buildings and surrounded him, weapons raised and pointed at his torso. He smiled to himself.

Gent was a fool. Jacen had known that the smuggler wasn't alone; he didn't have the Force for nothing, after all. And so he surprised – if not slightly unnerved Gent – by returning the other's grin.

"You haven't changed a bit, Gent."

The smuggler opened his mouth to say something, but Jacen beat him to it.

"I already told you that you're not getting my ship." Jacen slowly gazed at the men surrounding him. "And since it appears that you aren't going to cooperate, I will just have to leave."

Jacen didn't wait for Gent to respond. He simply turned and started walking toward his would-be captors.

Jacen appeared to be calm and uncaring about Gent's lack of cooperation, but he was inwardly seething.

_Damn that Gent! _The entire meeting had turned out to be a complete waste of time. Jacen knew that the smuggler was hiding something – he had simply held out to see if he could get Jacen to bargain his ship in exchange for whatever it was that he knew – but what was he hiding? _And how do I get it from him?_

Jacen grinned as an idea came to him. Why not anger the smuggler?

He was halfway through the ring of smugglers when he turned around and yelled to Gent.

"Old Rydar thought he sold me a light freighter." Jacen shrugged in mock apology. "I did steal the ship."

Well, if Jacen wanted to anger Gent, he got it. Jacen watched as the smuggler's face changed from shock to surprise, and then contorted with fury as the meaning of Jacen's words sank in.

_Maybe now we'll get somewhere, _Jacen thought, but he wasn't prepared for what Gent said next.

"The entire base was destroyed. Everything." Gent paused. "And everyone."

Jacen stiffened and his smile fell as the man spoke.

"Everyone too dumb to get away, that is."

Jacen shook his head fervently in denial. Melanae had told him that the Empire had been somewhat ruthless in the attack on the rebel base, but the destruction couldn't have been as bad as Gent said.

"No, that isn't possible."

"Is it?" Gent shifted so that one of his hands rested lightly on his right hip, and his voice deepened in irritation at Jacen's disagreement.

"You weren't there, though. You didn't see the Imperials come down and blow everything within sight to oblivion. You didn't see rebel ships become flaming shards of scrap as lasers tore through them, and you didn't see hundreds of those rebels get picked off by Imperial gunners as they ran for their lives."

Jacen couldn't – didn't – want to believe Gent's words. He didn't want to believe that his friends had suffered so much during the final assault; the terror they must have felt!

And what of Luke and the others? Jacen didn't dare ask Gent about them. The smuggler only thought that Jacen had sympathies for the Rebellion; if he believed that Jacen was somehow involved with them, then his mission and his life was over. But he still worried for his friends' safety.

Jacen had no way of knowing whether Leia, Han and Chewie had made it out of the base alright, but he didn't think that Luke had been harmed; he would have felt if it that were the case. Or at least he thought so. When they had trained together, he and Luke had been able to sense each others' emotions and they had known if one was weakened or hurt. Jacen had not felt anything disturbing from Luke, but he wasn't sure if it was because his friend was alright or if the distance between them muted his ability to sense changes in the Force.

The young jedi wished that he knew what the Force was trying to tell him, if it was telling him anything. With his father dead he had no guidance and no knowledge of how to use the Force.

Jacen's frustration at his inability to correctly interpret the condition of his friends only added to his despair. Anger and hatred for his limitations, the Empire and Gent boiled inside him, and Jacen was having difficulty keeping his growing rage under control.

"Darth Vader declared the entire assault a great success," Gent continued.

Jacen snapped his head up at the mention of the sith lord.

"Vader? He was there?"

Gent gave Jacen a look that was a combination of curiosity and malice. Jacen recognized both emotions, but paid more attention to the smuggler's obvious interest in Jacen's concern for Vader.

_Be careful_, he reminded himself. He could not afford Gent realizing his true interest in the Rebellion or the sith to even the smallest degree.

Gent studied Jacen a moment longer before answering Jacen's question.

"Of course Vader was there – he led the entire assault! He was the first person to walk through the remains of the rebel base after it was destroyed."

Shock followed closely by raw hatred shot through Jacen's body, and a soft whispering rose in the back of his mind as Jacen turned toward Gent.

It's his fault, the whisper said. It's his fault …

Jacen's eyes darkened slowly as the fury rose steadily in his mind and he made the barest of nods, only noticeable to himself as he agreed with the voice in his head.

Gent was not Vader – he had not led the attack that had killed hundreds of Jacen's friends and acquaintances – but he was still a messenger of death.

He would pay for his foolish arrogance.

Jacen felt a surge of elation as the voice cried out in triumph before clamping firmly down on his mind. All thoughts and emotion left Jacen save one: hatred.

This hate flowed through his body like a river of power, and Jacen embraced it. The sensation gave him strength as it filled him, and for once Jacen forgot all of his worries of discovery, of death, of failure. His pain at his inability to use the Force disappeared as this new power surpassed his natural talent, and his body heaved with its awareness of its control over this raw, unchanneled rage.

Unaware of the changes taking place in his rival, Gent smiled.

"I am sure the rebels he captured suffered greatly before they died, _if_ they were lucky enough to die."

Jacen raised his gaze to Gent, his fists shaking madly at his sides. Ice blue lightning flashed in Jacen's eyes and his voice was deep with barely restrained anger as he spoke to Gent.

"You were lucky that you weren't harmed by the Empire, Gent."

If the smuggler understood the threat lining Jacen's words, he didn't show it. Instead he adopted an air of arrogant nonchalance in his response.

"Well, one doesn't have to worry about such things if one has the right contacts."

A brief jolt of surprise made its way through the layers of hate inside Jacen.

"You bargained with the Empire."

The smuggler smiled again, pleased with himself.

"How else did the Empire know to look on Hoth? Those stupid rebels thought I was just a simple smuggler, so they didn't ask any questions." He grinned. "Too bad for them."

Jacen's right hand slowly slipped inside his jacket and grasped his blaster as his anger reached its peak.

"Yes," he murmured. "Too bad."

Before Gent or the other men surrounding him could blink, Jacen ripped out his weapon, dropped to the ground and fired at the nearest man.

The smuggler to his right went down, a smoking hole in his chest. The remaining two men were quick to fire their weapons in return, but Jacen was already moving.

He rolled over in the muddy ground, away from a bolt fired from one of the smugglers and leapt up on to his feet. Using the Force, Jacen jumped and tucked himself in to a somersault over one smuggler.

Before the man fully comprehended that the jedi was no longer in front of him, Jacen landed behind him and shot him in the back.

Jacen made quick work of the man's companion, hurled himself in to another somersault and landed mere inches from Gent, who was staring open-mouthed at the still-smoking bodies of his three men.

Gent blinked in combination of fear and stupor as he realized Jacen's proximity to his person, and he stumbled backward in order to distance himself from the enraged young man in front of him.

Jacen smiled grimly at the smuggler and grasped his throat with his left hand. He dropped his weapon and soon his right hand joined the other at Gent's throat. Gent gasped in surprise and brought his hands up to claw vainly at the iron grip on his gullet.

He stared in horror at the person before him. Arrogant Jacen Rhodes had disappeared and a monstrous terror had taken his place. The young man's eyes were darkened with an endless fury and hate poured from him to the man in his grip. He emanated power, and the heat from Jacen's fervently-fueled rage was thick enough in its intensity to choke Gent as the terrorized man stared into the bottomless depths of Jacen's wrath.

"You have very little time left, smuggler," Jacen growled.

Gent choked and gasped for air as the fingers around his throat tightened with cruel pleasure.

"What do you know? Where is the Empire's weapon?"

The smuggler grasped at Jacen's arms as he desperately sought some air, and when he responded in nothing but short gasps, Jacen's anger grew.

"Tell me!" He demanded and shook the smuggler violently.

Gent cried out once, then became still in Jacen's arms. Jacen peered at the man's face; his face was red, his eyes bulging and glossy, and his lips were slightly parted and vibrating quickly as he attempted to breathe, despite the grip on his throat.

Jacen stood, quietly watching the man as he struggled to live. The thought crossed his mind that the smuggler perhaps knew nothing, and that the wish to meet had been set by his desire to get his ship back, and nothing more.

But as the veil of death began to descend over him, the smuggler uttered one final, terrible word.

"Endor."


	4. Chapter Four

AN: The similarities from the previous chapter to others in the first part of Epic are these: Vader kills Jacen's mother in a way similar to the way Jacen kills Gent, though Vader used the Force in this instance while Jacen was physical. Also, Jacen's actions parallel those of Vader's when he chokes Captain Antilles in ANH.

To my readers:

**Moonjava**: I am happy that you are continuing to read the story. I know that this one deviates from the storyline introduced in _Empire_, but I did not want to create a character that simply follows Luke and the others throughout the events of the trilogy. I wanted Jacen to have a personality of his own, as well as his own experiences independent from Lucas' characters. I hope that I am doing well thus far.

**Onono**: Thank you so much for your wonderful review! I am glad that you think so highly of the previous chapter. It wasn't easy for me to write – I began it prior to the last week of school before finals, then I had to put it on hold for two and a half weeks. I finally finished it after I had everything situated at home, and I thought that it wasn't going to turn out well because it was written with so many breaks between the parts. Again, thanks for your encouraging comments. I really appreciated them.

He took the long way home. He didn't want to risk having anyone follow him after his dealings with the smuggler and his men. Even with the Force, Jacen wasn't sure that he could win a fight against many armed attackers; he just wasn't strong enough.

The rain continued pouring, and Jacen raised a hand to his temple to soothe the ceaseless pounding in his skull. Ever since his meeting with Gent he had been plagued by a very large, very intense headache. The last, clear memory that he had of his conversation with the smuggler involved something about a ship that Gent seemed upset about. Everything after that was blank, and if Jacen tried to think about the missing events from his memory, the pain in his head would grow more severe.

So, in order to alleviate his suffering, Jacen pushed his brain's impulse to investigate the reason for his abrupt amnesia to the back of his mind. The action had numbed the heavy throbbing a little, but not to the degree that Jacen could disregard the pain in his head. He only hoped that the headache would end soon.

In addition to the migraine, a single word constantly echoed in the young man's mind that he could not explain.

_Endor…_

It made no sense to Jacen. He had never heard this word before in his life, and now it was suddenly stuck in his head for no apparent reason.

What was this Endor? Was it a person? A name of a ship or organization? Or was it a place? And if it was any of these things, how was he supposed to find it?

"It's not enough that I can't remember what I did an hour ago," Jacen grumbled to himself as he thumbed entry into his house. "Now I'm going insane."

He walked through the door, making sure that it was locked behind him, and strode across the small entryway and into an adjoining room.

The room, like the rest of the house, was not very large. The walls were faded yellow due to years of gathered dirt and grime, which was in sharp contrast to portions that retained the original white of the wall work. There was no carpet on the floor, just bare stone that matched the walls. A bed with thick covers lay against one wall, and a dark wooden desk and chair was placed next to the head of the bed.

Jacen moved over to the desk and placed his blaster on its worn surface, and then began stripping himself of his soaked clothing. He placed his outer cloak and utility belt next to his blaster on the desk and tossed the rest of his clothing in a pile at the other end of the room. He changed into some drier clothes and then sat down at his desk, gently rubbing his head with his thumb and forefinger as he tried to sort things out.

He remembered going to meet Gent earlier that day. It had surprised Jacen that the smuggler had been the contact; he had thought that the man wasn't in to those kinds of dealings. They had exchanged a few words. Apparently Gent had still been upset that Jacen had stolen his ship, but that didn't explain why he had wanted to meet with him. The smuggler had more than enough credits to buy another, better ship, so why had he bothered with Jacen at all?

Jacen frowned. Something about this wasn't right. First the Empire kept their victory at Hoth a secret, then Gent lured him into a confrontation with information about the Empire, and now he was missing a part of his memory.

Jacen stood and paced his room. There had to be a connection somewhere.

He tried to remember what had been said between himself and Gent past the stolen ship, but a massive wave of pain attacked his head and stilled his thoughts. Jacen hissed through his teeth and grabbed his head to stop the pain. Once it had subsided, he shook his head and backtracked through the safer parts of his memory.

Why had he agreed to meet with Gent anyway? Well, Melanae had said that he had information that he would be interested in. In that case, their discussion about the ship was worthless. Jacen paused. Then what was so important that he went to see this guy?

Jacen stopped pacing and tried to think. The Force was telling him that he was missing something…something that was discussed earlier …

Hoth! Melanae had mentioned the attack and he had wanted to find out what happened to his friends!

Jacen grinned at his personal triumph.

Okay. So they had talked about Hoth. Huge throbs of pain shot through his skull as soon as his mind mentioned the planet, but Jacen was determined not to lose his train of thought. He pushed through the clouded pounding and was rewarded with a vague image of Gent speaking about the Imperial attack.

So the eerie silence, Hoth and Gent all had something in common. But what was it?

_Endor …_

Jacen slammed a hand down on his desk in irritation. Gods, why couldn't he get this word out of his head? And he had almost figured out why he couldn't remember anything after identifying Gent!

He was breathing heavily and he commanded himself to calm down.

All of this frustration was making his headache worse.

Jacen shook his head and slowly sat down in the chair. He needed to concentrate, but the pain in his head and that stupid word prevented him from making any progress.

He exhaled slowly and sat up straight in the chair. Perhaps if he meditated he could figure out a way to make sense of this mess.

Jacen closed his eyes and got into the meditative position that his father had briefly taught him three years ago. He quietly inhaled and exhaled in order to clam himself before he opened himself to the Force. Once he thought that he had found his center, Jacen reached out and tried to connect with the Force. It took the young jedi a few minutes of silent struggle to make and then maintain his inexperienced hold on the Force, but once he had it Jacen felt the energy course through his body and pierce his core.

The familiar feeling of warmth and protection was there, but so was something else. Jacen recognized it as the bleak hole that had appeared in his connection to the Force after the battle of Yavin. It was cold, and evil. It lurked within Jacen's being, silently watching and waiting for the boy to give himself to its deadly embrace.

And it had grown.

After the battle that destroyed the Death Star, the blight in Jacen's Force presence had been so small that Jacen thought that perhaps he had been mistaken in his identification of it. But over the course of three lonely, hateful years in which Jacen had been forced to do terrible things in order to survive the tiny blight had become a large, bleak hole. It was still waiting, but its calls had become more frequent, and its pull was stronger.

The thought of embracing such darkness frightened and appalled Jacen. He pushed the evil as far from him as he possibly could, and quickly opened himself to the blinding serenity of the Force.

Immediately he was bombarded by several images of Gent and his men. Jacen watched as each of Gent's men was killed by blaster bolts; one in the chest, one in the back and another in the face. Gent's surprised and fearful face loomed in his mind and Jacen watched, horrified as the man inexplicably began to struggle to breathe. The man clawed at whatever held him as he desperately tried to free himself. His eyes began to gloss over and distantly Jacen heard a distorted voice, twisted by anger and hate, say, "Where is the Empire's weapon?" Fear ran down Jacen's spine at the sound of that voice; in it he heard nothing but evil.

The Force was thick with pain, terror and death, and Jacen screamed as the emotions invaded his body, forcing him to face them. With a mighty heave Jacen pulled himself free from the images and found himself back in his room, the word 'Endor' still echoing in his head.

He stared at his room, wide eyed and frightened as he tried to forget what he had just seen. But he couldn't forget it, he just _could not. _

Jacen tried to control his ragged breathing, but the adrenaline was still pumping hard in his veins. So that was what had happened to Gent. But why hadn't he remembered that? He had been there, after all.

Jacen stared at his hands in his lap, dejected and confused. And who did that dark voice belong to? He involuntarily shivered as he remembered the pure hate dripping from the voice; if it had sounded any less human he would have thought that it belonged to Vader.

He remembered the image of Gent struggling in the grip of some unknown enemy. Gent had needed help, so why didn't he help him?

Jacen's eyes focused on something on his arm. It appeared to be some kind of mark … Jacen's heart leapt in to his throat as he realized that there was more than one mark on his arm, and that they weren't marks at all, but _scratches._

Jacen stared at his arms in disbelief and horror as the fog lifted from his mind. He hadn't helped Gent because he was the one choking him. That dark voice had belonged to _him_.

Jacen jumped out of the chair with a start and backed away from it, breathing heavily and staring at the chair as if it had just bitten him.

No. He couldn't have done that. He couldn't have killed those men.

But it would explain why he had blacked out …

_No!_ Jacen's mind continued its denial of his actions. _I would never do something like that._

They had been fine, he and Gent. Granted that Gent had gotten a little upset about the ship, but that wasn't something that he would murder somebody over. Gent had only mentioned Hoth to get back at –

_Hoth!_

By the Force, that was it!

Jacen's thoughts stopped as he remembered his earlier train of thought, except this time there was no headache to stop him from continuing it. It had been the Empire that was in control of everything – the silence from Coruscant; his meeting with Gent; the attack on Hoth – the Empire was behind it all!

Jacen paused in his thoughts and frowned. He didn't like that the Empire was behind so many of the events of which he had just recently become aware.

Jacen's brow furrowed as he thought further. This was more than a coincidence.

As far as he could tell, the attack on Hoth was the connecting piece to everything else – Coruscant and Gent's arrival – so the answer that he was seeking must be somewhere in the events of the Empire's attack.

He remembered that Gent had said that Vader had led the attack, and the success of the mission should have been broadcasted to every corner of the galaxy – Lord Vader was not a man to turn down publicity for his Empire. But it wasn't. Why? The only other time that he could remember the Empire being unusually silent on an accomplishment was when Leia had been taken prisoner by Vader three years ago; the Empire had not wanted information about her abduction or the plans for their weapon to find their way to the Alliance, who could have used the knowledge to their advantage. And Vader had been present during that mission as well.

The similarities in Leia's capture and the attack on Hoth were too close to be unintentional. If Vader was present during the attack on the rebel base, then he must have been there for a reason greater than Imperial triumph. Like with Leia's capture, he must have been looking for someone. But who, and more importantly, why?

_He was looking for me. _Jacen's eyes widened in shock with his realization.

It made sense. Jacen had the Force, and was strong in it. It was a gift that very few people in the galaxy possessed, so naturally Vader would be interested in finding those who had managed to tap into this power that previously only he had control of. In addition to that, Jacen had been instrumental in the destruction of the Death Star, so the Empire's second-in-command would be eager to catch him as a prize.

But by that logic, Vader should be after Luke as well.

"He is after both of us," Jacen murmured to himself. "He thought that we were both at the base, but only Luke was."

Jacen knew that his friend couldn't have been captured – if he had been, Jacen had no doubt that the Empire would have celebrated their good fortune – and Imperial Center had not made a sound since Jacen first learned of the attack on Hoth. That led him to believe that the Empire – and Vader – was still searching for himself and Luke.

Satisfied with himself, Jacen headed back to his desk, and then froze as an idea occurred to him.

What if Gent knew who he really was?

The man had admitted to being an Imperial Spy, and though he addressed Jacen as 'Alix,' could he have really known who he was? Maybe that was the purpose of the meeting – to establish Jacen's true identity and then take him to Vader.

A small chill ran up the young jedi's back. The possibility of that truth was too great. If Gent had found him, then it would be easy work for the Empire to locate him as well.

Jacen's mouth was suddenly dry and he swallowed a lump that had formed in his throat.

"I've got a bad feeling about this."


	5. Chapter Five

**AN:** Hello, readers! I know that my long absence has probably prompted many of you into believing that I had either abandoned this story or died. Thankfully, I have done neither. My excuses are simple: I am working two jobs and a computer virus has prevented me from being able to save any work or go online. In fact, this chapter was deleted 3 times by the virus, until I finally decided to work on it on a different computer. And that is why it has taken me so long to update.

Oh, and I am going to begin updating on a weekly basis. Once my computer is fixed, it should happen like clockwork, but until then I am restricted to a foreign computer with Internet access. If I update late next week, I apologize in advance.

As for the reviewers:

**lilyskywalker**: Thank you very much for the review! I am glad that you noticed the trademark quote. Since that quote is said in every Star Wars film, I have decided to include it once in every story of my trilogy. Anyway, I am glad that you liked the chapter.

**Onono**: Sorry about not reading your stuff – blame the stupid virus. Every time that I connect to the Internet, another virus downloads on the computer and all hell breaks loose. Please forgive me! I am definitely still interested in your story.

_Fool!_

How could he have been so stupid, so blind? Of course the Empire was after him; Force, his father had told him as much three years ago! And now the Imperials were practically knocking down his door, or would be soon enough.

Jacen cursed himself. Why, oh why hadn't he paid more heed to his father's words? Perhaps he could have prevented his desperate flight if he had.

Unbidden, Jacen heard his father's voice chastise him as he had when Jacen had practiced with his lightsaber on their trip to the destroyed Alderaan three years ago.

_Pay attention, Jacen. Focus on the here and now._

They young jedi took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. Thinking of what could and may have been would do him no good.

He was making his way to the space port where his ship was, in one of the docking bays. After he had realized that the Empire was searching for him, he had packed quickly; Jacen didn't know if it would take the Empire hours or weeks to find him, but he was not fool enough to believe that they would stay forever blind to his presence.

In truth Jacen knew that the Empire, or more specifically Vader, would find him. It was only a matter of time. The sith lord would not stop until he had either Jacen or Luke in his clutches, and Jacen knew that Vader preferred both be under his watch, or dead.

Unfortunately for Jacen, his strength in the Force served as a beacon for Vader, who would follow the young jedi's light until he had smothered it with his black heart.

This ability, the Force, was the key to Jacen's future – his rise …

… or his fall.

His father had been right. This rare ability of his to manipulate some vast intangible life-creating energy was both curse and gift; a curse in that it doomed him to Vader's awareness of his presence, and a gift in that it saved him from becoming the same evil as the sith lord.

At the moment Jacen thought the Force to be more of a curse as he avoided the stormtroopers he was sure was searching for him.

He kept his face forward, but he let his gaze wander as he searched the crowd for possible threats. No one jumped out at Jacen; most seemed to be locals or outlaws like himself, but he remained alert. He couldn't trust anyone, or allow any appearance to deceive him with the Empire's agents on the lookout for him.

Once he got to his ship and off-planet Jacen was headed to Bothawui. The planet was renowned across the galaxy for its vast spy network; both the Rebellion and the Empire had their own spies embedded on Bothawui to keep an eye on the other. As such, Jacen knew that it was dangerous for him to go there, but he needed intelligence that only the Bothans would be willing to give to him.

He had a few contacts, he would be okay.

It was time that he learned what Endor meant, and exactly what the Empire was planning for the Rebellion.

Jacen was nearing the spaceport, still watching the crowd surrounding him when a dull warning sounded in the back of his mind. Jacen dismissed the warning as anxiety until it grew so that it was practically screaming at the jedi.

_**STOP!**_

Jacen abruptly stilled, more surprised by the presence of the voice than its warning. Less than a second after the voice had emitted its warning, a deadly red beam of energy rocketed through the air over Jacen's head, so close that it scorched a few hairs, and landed two feet ahead of him – in the exact spot where he would have been standing if the Force had not forewarned him.

His body froze and Jacen stared open-mouthed in shock at the scorch mark in the pavement in front of him.

_That couldn't have been meant for me._

Another shot fired at his head assured him that it was.

As soon as Jacen realized that he was in danger his body sprung into action. He didn't even afford himself the luxury of thinking about what he was doing; he gathered all of his body weight and threw himself behind the cover an old building to his left.

He landed face first in mud as thick and deep as his forearm. Jacen wrenched himself free of the muck, and mentally swore at the planet and its blasted weather. Another shot forced Jacen to crouch low and he pressed his body against the side of the building. In one swift motion he pulled his blaster from its holster at his side and held it to the read as he tried to make sense of what had just happened.

He cautiously stuck his head out around the corner of the building, expecting to see a barrage of stormtroopers, but he was surprised and somewhat disappointed by what he saw.

Apparently after the first few shots were fired the crowd had disappeared into whatever shelter they could find, each person believing that the bolts were meant for them. Except for a few individuals who didn't seem to care that a battle was going on, the street was completely clear.

_Well, at least people won't get in my way_, thought Jacen.

And thankfully the rain had slowed to a slight drizzle; at least now he could see who he was shooting at.

But something wasn't right …

Jacen frowned. He didn't see the signature white of troopers' uniforms anywhere. He supposed that should have comforted him somewhat, but it didn't. Instead he became more uneasy as his brain frantically tried to figure out who was shooting at him.

If it wasn't the Empire, then who was after him? Why did they want to kill him?

A laser whizzed past his head and Jacen tucked back behind the building, pushing all questions about his attackers away. Right now he had more important things to concentrate on, like staying alive.

Jacen looked around him for anything that would allow him to better see his attackers; squatting huddled against the side of a building wasn't going to help him see what was going on.

Unfortunately his surroundings weren't the best. In his haste to get away from the laser fire, Jacen had dove into the nearest available shelter without checking to see where he was going. Now he realized that he had landed in a narrow alleyway between two solid buildings.

Jacen pounded his fist in frustration onto the wall of the building he was huddled against. A Jedi Knight was supposed to be aware of his environment in case he found himself in a situation similar to the one Jacen was in. He sighed. Well, any chances he had of acting like a Jedi had disappeared the instant his face hit the mud. And now he was trapped between solid rock walls with madmen shooting at him with blasters.

And it had started out as such a nice day.

Jacen sighed and weighed his options. The walls of the buildings were too high for him to climb, and even if he could climb them, odds were he'd be shot before he made it half way. He was too close to the walls to blast them with explosives, plus he'd give away his location to his attackers; if he survived the explosion they'd be on him in a heartbeat.

Jacen sighed again and let his gaze wander to the street beside him. He stilled as his eyes landed on a building across the street. He looked up at the building and saw that a window on its upper level was slightly shielded by a neighboring home. If he could only make it inside the house and to that window, he could use it as a kind of lookout to fire at his still anonymous enemies.

Jacen's feet started to slide in the mud, and he had to put on hand in the cold, wet earth to steady himself.

_It would be nice to get out of the rain, too_, he though.

He noticed that the shots from above had ceased; the attackers were probably trying to decide if he was still behind the building.

_Well, if opportunity knocks …_

Jacen was well aware that he may not get a chance like this again. He stood slowly and pulled his blaster up, ready to use it if he needed to. The young man gathered the Force around him, murmured a prayer for guidance, opened his eyes and ran.

A few moments after he stepped onto the street the laser fire started again in earnest. Jacen wildly dodged the beams of energy as he continued his desperate run to what he hoped was an abandoned building. If not, the residents were going to get one hell of a surprise when he came through the door.

Jacen grimaced in pain as a shot grazed his right ankle, and he faltered in his flight a little, but he kept heading to the building.

He wasn't sure if it was because of his injury, or that he was being repeatedly shot at, or that the street was wider than he had originally supposed, but it was taking him a lot longer than he'd expected to reach the house. In any case, Jacen had never wished for his lightsaber more after three years of deceit, fraud, and isolation than he did at that moment.

_If only I had my saber, I could block these shots, _he thought.

But all he had was a blaster, his lightsaber left on Yavin IV as a memorial to a barely remembered past.

Jacen's wishes for a better weapon were dismissed as the house he was headed to abruptly erupted in a fiery explosion.

The force of the blast sent the young jedi flying. He landed in the mud, hard. Jacen stood slowly and blinked several times, trying to clear his eyes of the smoke. His brain was practically screaming at him to _get going_; his attackers were still out there, but his body wasn't responding.

He stared at the ruins of the building in shock.

_How …?_

Ash from the flames flew in his face and the smoke made it difficult for him to concentrate, but Jacen heard something that made his blood run cold.

The remaining people in the streets made no noise; Jacen suspected that they had fled during the explosion; the rain, oddly, had ceased; but most importantly the blasters had stopped firing.

It was eerily quiet.

Footsteps behind him alerted Jacen to an approaching presence. He could sense a great deal of malice coming from this individual, and Jacen took a few steadying breaths to prepare himself for the inevitable encounter.

He waited for the person to walk closer, his grip on his blaster tightening every second that passed. Suddenly Jacen spun around, aimed his weapon high –

and nearly dropped his gun at the sight before him.

Carbon scouring from ancient blaster shots marred the surface of the full body armor, indicating the individual's experience in battle. The famed Mandalorian armor was slick from the rain, and the renowned and deadly bounty hunter Boba Fett stood unfazed in the face of the blazing fire, his blaster rifle pointed at Jacen's chest.

The young man stared at Fett for several seconds as his mind frantically assessed the situation.

_This is not good_, was his conclusion.

Thankfully Jacen was spared having to think up an excuse for his presence, as Fett spoke first.

The older man's voice sounded malicious, and the mechanized voice box inside his helmet added to Fett's cruel image.

"Drop your weapon."

Jacen hesitated for a moment – the thought of facing one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy unarmed did not make him happy – but Fett noticed his reluctance to part with the blaster and tightened his grip on his blast rifle.

Jacen saw this and decided that he didn't want to be fried. He promptly let his blaster fall from his hands and on to the ground by his feet.

Satisfied that Jacen no longer posed as a threat to him, Fett spoke again.

"You will come with me."

Jacen refused to go anywhere with that man until he knew the reason why. Fett's appearance had given him a pretty good idea of who wanted him, but he wasn't about to let the bounty hunter realize that he was worried, so he decided to adopt the indignant air of his alias to try to put Fett off his track.

Jacen spoke to Fett for the first time, casually crossing his arms as he did so.

"What? I don't think so. I ain't goin nowhere till you tell me what's goin on."

Fett just continued to stare at Jacen.

"Unless you want to lose a limb, you will come quietly. I don't want you … damaged, but I'd rather risk getting only a part of your bounty than none." If Fett's eyes were lasers, Jacen was sure that he'd be a smoking crisp right now. "Do you understand, Rhodes?"

Jacen hoped that his shock wasn't showing on his face. His body went completely numb and his brain shut down as an icy fear settled over his heart.

_Oh Force, he knows who I am_.

Well, now he knew for sure who had sent Fett on his tail. He must be real hot stuff if the Empire had resorted to using bounty hunters to locate him. At least that explained why he hadn't been shot … yet. The number of credits that Vader was willing to throw out to chase him down must be high. Very high.

Jacen wasn't sure he wanted to know how much Vader thought he was worth.

He looked at Fett, whose stance hadn't changed since he last spoke. Fett wasn't the kind of man to share his bounty – the victim or the credits – with anyone. He must have come after Jacen alone. Thinking back on the barrage of fire from this man, Jacen suddenly realized how hopeless his chances of escape were.

_This man is good._

He realized that Fett was waiting for him to respond, so he quickly uncrossed his arms and acted as if he had been somehow insulted by the man's statement.

"Yeah, yeah I understand you all right, but who're you callin Rhodes? My name is Talos; Alix Talos."

Unfortunately Fett was having none of it.

"Tell that to the Empire."

By now the bounty hunter had grown tired of talking, and moved to fire his rope at his captive.

Jacen knew that he had to move fast. He quickly scanned the area until his gaze rested on a fist-sized rock that had fallen into the streets from the destroyed house during the blast. A plan quickly formed in the young jedi's mind, but he didn't have time to wonder if it would work or not as Fett's rope wrapped itself around Jacen's body.

Jacen imagined that Fett looked smug under his helmet, but he quickly pushed all thoughts from his mind as he connected with the Force. The familiar sensation of serenity flooded his being, and Jacen reached out with his powers to will the fallen rock to rise.

Fett moved closer to his captive, planning on handing him over to Vader's eager clutches. The rock moved a little, but it wasn't enough. Jacen concentrated harder, breaking a sweat as he did so, and finally the rock lifted off the ground.

Jacen quieted his inner triumph; he needed to stay focused on his plan. The rock rose until it was level with Fett's helmet, and as the bounty hunter grasped Jacen's arm, the jedi-to-be initiated his attack.

The rock went flying through the air and smashed into Fett's head. The bounty hunter released Jacen from his grip and fell forward. Jacen jumped back as best as he could with the rope tied around him, and managed to free himself of the bindings.

Fett was fast, but Jacen had the Force and was faster. As the bounty hunter struggled to recover from the impact of the rock, Jacen used the Force to call his blaster to his hand. Immediately the weapon flew from its place on the ground to rest in the young jedi's grip. Jacen twirled, kicked Fett in the head, and then slammed the butt of the blaster on the man's neck as the bounty hunter stumbled in shock and confusion from the combination of the attacks.

Jacen switched the settings on his blaster from 'kill' to 'stun,' pointed the weapon at Fett's still-struggling form …

… and hesitated as a thought occurred to him. If Jacen let this man live, he would go to the Empire the first chance he got to tell them where he was. Fett had probably kept watch over Jacen's ship and could identify it to the Imperials, and Jacen would be marked wherever he went. To protect himself, he had to kill him, not simply knock him out for a couple of hours.

But he would be followed whether Fett told the Imperials of his whereabouts or not; it would just take them longer to find him if Fett 'disappeared.'

His finger hovered over the 'kill' setting.

A familiar voice entered Jacen's head, it's sly and bitter demeanor identifying itself to the jedi.

Yes … kill him … show him how powerful you are …

He didn't have much time to debate with himself – Fett was beginning to recover. Without acknowledging the voice's presence, Jacen made his decision.

He thumbed the 'stun' button, aimed and fired at Fett. The bounty hunter collapsed in the mud, unconscious.

Jacen stayed to make sure that Fett was no longer a threat to him, then turned and hurried down the street to the space port.

A Jedi did not kill without reason. At the time, Fett had posed no real threat other than what he might – and most probably would – do in the future. Jacen could not give or take life based on what might happen, since he knew better than most people that the future is often not what you expect it to be. And although he knew that he would meet the defeated bounty hunter again sometime, for the moment he was focused on getting off-planet, and content to deal with that future when it came.


	6. Chapter Six

AN: Well, this is my first attempt at being a responsible author. From now on I will update once a week. The virus is still on my computer, so I have been reduced to using my laptop. Thankfully I can use a flash drive to transfer the chapter to a computer that has an Internet connection.

Thank you all for your patience with me!

Once Jacen landed on Bothawui, he immediately went to find his contacts. He had learned from them that if he wanted to find out any legitimate information about the Empire's goings-on, he would have to speak with someone at the Intergalactic Trade Mission. Apparently a lot of intelligence came through the building and was exchanged between those in charge of the business.

His best bet, his contacts said, would be to try to get in to see the Bothan Spymaster, Koth Melan. So far that had been easier said than done.

Getting in the ITM wasn't hard; Jacen only had to pay a slight fee and he was allowed inside the building. From that point on getting to see Melan became steadily difficult. Everywhere he went guards wanted to see his pass, which of course he didn't have. Luckily one of his contacts had a cousin - a guard on one of the lower levels - who was willing to help Jacen past the security.

The Bothan guard got Jacen to a few levels below Melan's office before explaining that he couldn't take the young man any further. Jacen thanked the man for his help, and then headed to the lift to take to Melan's office.

He was slightly surprised when quite a few others entered the lift with him, but Jacen managed to suppress his fears of discovery to appear completely unconcerned with the others near him. He ignored them, and they him.

He managed to get off the lift and on to the correct floor without being harassed, and as he headed toward Melan's office, Jacen smiled to himself in slight amusement. People were so simple-minded - here he was, walking into the office of the Bothan spymaster, and no one questioned him or even spared him a second glance; everyone automatically assumed that he was where he was supposed to be.

Jacen opened the door to the waiting room outside Melan's office and headed straight to the desk in the room. It was staffed by a golden protocol droid that reminded Jacen of Threepio. The droid looked up at Jacen's form in front of the desk, quickly greeted him and asked whether it might be able to assist him.

"I'm here to see Koth Melan," Jacen said.

"Of course. And your name, sir?"

Jacen hesitated. He wasn't sure if he should give his real name or stick with his alias. He had seen stormtrooper units around the spaceport and city earlier, and he didn't like the thought that a simple name slip could cause him to leave the planet in shackles.

He decided to stick with his alias, just to be safe.

"Alix Talos."

"And when would you like to speak with Master Melan?"

"Now."

The droid seemed to be a little startled by Jacen's request, but checked its computer anyway.

A few moments later the droid said to Jacen, "I'm sorry, sir, but Master Melan is very busy. Perhaps I could schedule an appointment for two weeks - "

Jacen moved his hand toward his blaster. The droid saw this and quickly amended its offer. " - in a few hours?" It sounded almost hopeful.

Jacen nodded. Visibly relieved, the droid wrote down the name Jacen had given it, and then spoke to the young man.

"Master Melan will be able to see you in four standard hours. If you wish to leave the building - "

"No thanks, I'll just wait," Jacen interrupted.

"Very well, sir. You may sit in one of the chairs across the room, if you wish."

"Thanks." He left the desk and settled in to a chair near the office door. So. He had four hours before he saw Melan.

He could wait.

Three and a half hours later, Jacen hadn't moved from his place in Melan's front office. He was bored, slightly irritated and he had to use the 'fresher. He sighed to himself for what felt like the millionth time. Sitting in a boring office all day without moving was not fun, but Jacen had not been willing to miss Melan if he became available early. The secretary droid had assured him repeatedly in the past three hours that it would not overlook the young man, but Jacen didn't entirely trust the droid's memory banks.

To keep himself occupied, Jacen had been going over everything that he knew about the Empire and the possibility that it might be constructing a weapon of some kind. Unfortunately, his knowledge didn't amount to much - the best lead that he had was the mysterious Endor, and at this point he wasn't even sure if it was a lead.

He was hopeful that his meeting with Melan would tell him for sure one way or the other.

"Mr. Talos?"

Jacen looked up to see Melan's droid waving at him from behind its desk.

"Master Melan got out of his meeting early, sir, and says that he will see you now."

Jacen quickly got up, briefly stretched his legs and followed the droid into Melan's private office.

The first time Jacen saw the Bothan spymaster, he didn't think much of him. The man looked like any other Bothan ... well, perhaps he appeared to be slightly more intelligent than most of his species that Jacen had met, but other than that the man seemed just an average Bothan.

"Master Melan, Alix Talos to see you, sir," the droid said.

"Yes, thank you, R-Zero-Four," Melan said and dismissed the droid. Once R-04 had gone, the spymaster turned to the young man standing in front of him and invited him to sit down. Jacen did so, and Melan studied the young man before speaking.

"I understand that you have some information that might interest me, Jacen Rhodes."

Jacen's surprise at the Bothan's revelation was so great that he could only stutter in response. Melan smiled.

"I have known about you for quite a while," he said. "You must have had a decent guide for you to get this far in my building."

Jacen continued to stare at the Bothan. He knew about the guard?

Melan leaned back in his chair. "I am a cautious man. Surely you can understand that, as a wanted man yourself."

Force, he even knew about the Empire! Jacen's respect for the man doubled. Finally, he was able to speak.

"How do you know about all that?"

Melan did something like a shrug. "I'm a spy; it's my business to know others' business." He continued. "You don't have to worry about your secret."

Jacen nodded. He didn't know this man, but he believed him.

"So," Melan said, looking at Jacen. "What do you have to tell me?"

While he had been waiting in the outer office, Jacen had decided to tell the spymaster all that he could about his mission for the Alliance and his success thus far. It would benefit him if Melan had a clear idea of precisely what Jacen was doing and what his motivations were.

Melan listened attentively while Jacen explained about his mission and his findings, occasionally asking questions here and there for clarification.

"Recently I have come across a piece of information that I believe may be important, but I need to have it verified before I can continue in my investigations," Jacen concluded.

"Verified how?"

"I need to know if the Empire is constructing a weapon of some kind. I know that you have the resources to get that kind of information, and I want you to tell me if I am right."

Melan studied Jacen silently for a moment before nodding his head in acquiescence. "We - the spy network - know that the Empire is planning something, but we don't have any specifics."

"How do you know what the Empire is doing? How large is the operation?"

"Just as the Alliance had their suspicions that the Empire wouldn't cease trying to destroy them, so did we. Our spies have uncovered enough information to determine that the Empire is building something, most likely a weapon that will severely hurt the Rebellion."

Jacen nodded. He could understand that, though it didn't make him happy to hear it. "But how do you know this?"

"The Empire has diverted large amounts of men, machinery and funds for this project. Knowing the Emperor's inclination for combative fanfare, it is safe to assume that the project is a military weapon, although we do not know for sure."

Jacen's brow furrowed as he tried to make the connection between Endor and what Melan had just told him. "But if that is true, what does Endor have to do with it?"

Melan looked at Jacen sharply. "Endor? What do you know about Endor?"

Jacen was slightly surprised. "You know what it is?"

"Vaguely. Let me check my computer to make sure."

The Bothan turned from Jacen and began clicking away at the computer near his desk. After a few moments, his typing stilled as he read the file that came up.

"Yes," he murmured to himself. "Perhaps there is something in this."

"What?" Jacen asked. "What is it?"

Melan looked at the young man thoughtfully. "Endor is a planet - a very remote planet. It has no major cities or settlements, no spaceports or communication system. It is covered completely by forest, and is for the most part unexplored. It is very possible that the Empire could be using the planet as a go-between for its project - as a sort of base. Or, and this is a long shot, the Empire's project itself could be located on or near Endor." The spymaster paused in his musings and gave Jacen a sharp look. "Tell me," he said, "how exactly did you come by this information?"

Jacen hadn't been expecting the question and was caught off-guard. The terrifying scene of Gent's death played before his mind, and images of the smuggler's strained, purple face and clawing hands rose in the young man's mind. He unconsciously gripped the pant fabric at his knees tight enough so that the veins in his hands were visible, and he fought to control his breathing.

Finally Jacen got control of himself and pushed the horrifying memory away. His voice was dry and slightly cracked as he answered Melan. "I got it from an old contact - an admitted Imperial spy."

Jacen's brief fit had not gone unnoticed by the spymaster, but he did not mention it to the young man.

"It will have to be checked out, you realize, but if what you say is true we may have a slight advantage over our Imperial counterparts." Melan gave Jacen a sour grin. "We are not the only ones trying to protect the Empire's secret."

Jacen started. "What do you mean, 'protect'?"

The Bothan sighed. "I know that you want to report this information to the leaders of the Alliance, but you can't, Jacen. We have an idea what the Empire is planning, but we don't know for sure. There haven't been enough facts yet."

"But why can't I tell the Alliance - "

"No! You can't tell them anything. Not yet." Melan leaned across the desk and grasped Jacen's wrist for emphasis. "Until we have enough knowledge, anything that you tell the Alliance could be incorrect. If it was to act on the misinformation, then the consequences could potentially be far worse than whatever the Empire has in mind. The second rule of attack is to know your enemy. Say nothing until you know for sure that your information is correct."

Jacen nodded and Melan released his wrist. After a moment of contemplation, Jacen spoke.

"If knowing your enemy is the second rule of attack, what's the first?"

The Bothan gave Jacen a solemn grin. "Be sure that you can win."

X

After his meeting with Melan, Jacen had left the ITM building and headed to his ship. Now he was in the galley, fixing himself a quick meal before leaving Bothawui. Of course, Jacen had no idea where he was going, but that didn't really bother him; guessing which planet would have the right people at the right time was a game of chance that he had spent the better part of three years perfecting.

Jacen tapped the spoon he was holding against his chin in thought. Perhaps he would go to Bakura. There was a certain governor there who owed him a favor...

He dropped the spoon as a familiar feeling slowly crept up his spine. The air in the galley became almost cold, and a barely perceptible shift in the Force informed Jacen that he was no longer alone on his ship.

He realized that he had stiffened slightly from an initial instinct to fight, and Jacen commanded himself to relax. Pretending that he hadn't noticed the change in the room, Jacen picked up his still-cooking pot of food and turned toward the entry to the galley.

In one swift movement he raised the pot, ready to strike it at whoever had dared to intrude on his ship –

- and screamed.

"Zarking Hell!"

In a reactive motion, Jacen threw his arms up, causing the pot of steaming food to fly above him in a great arch, overturn and land in great globs on the young man's torso, shoulders and head.

Jacen didn't feel the food burning his skin; his entire body was numb. He just stood in the galley, completely ignorant of the semisolid food dripping from his hair and onto the floor as he stared unbelieving at the form of his father.

But this couldn't be his father, although it - he - whatever - looked like his father and wore his father's clothes. His father was dead. In fact, Jacen noticed that if he looked closely he could see that this man-thing was more transparent than solid, and he gave off a soft purple glow.

Jacen blinked slowly. He must be dreaming, or going insane. With all that had happened to him lately, Jacen firmly felt that it was the latter.

Obi-Wan smiled at the young man and spoke. "Yes, Jacen, it is me." He chuckled at his son's comic appearance. "Clean yourself off; you look ridiculous."

Jacen did as he was told, though he felt as if he were moving in a trance. This couldn't be happening, he told himself. Dead people don't talk.

He said as much to the Dead Man.

"Oh, but I am dead. Just not ... completely."

Jacen moved to sit at the galley table, and the Dead Man did the same.

Jacen shook his head slowly. "I don't understand," he said.

The Jedi smiled sympathetically. "I don't expect you to, my son. There are many things that you have yet to understand."

"But you are dead; I watched you be struck down by Vader! How can you be here?"

"Through the will of the Force," the man replied.

For the first time, Jacen realized that this ... thing was indeed his deceased father.

_Only my father could explain the Force so obscurely_, he thought.

Immediately Jacen was overcome with extreme emotions of joy and confusion at his father's return.

He composed himself silently, and then spoke to his father.

"Why are you here?"

If he could have, Obi-Wan would have sighed.

"I have watched you grow in the Force these past three years, and although you have done admirably on your own, it is time that you hone your skills and learn."

Jacen was visibly confused. "What do you mean?"

"You must train under one that is knowledgeable in the ways of the Force if you are to become a Jedi."

"How am I to do that? You're dead."

Obi-Wan smiled at his son's naivety. "Go to Kothilis. There you will find Master Frar, who will continue the training that I was unable to finish."

Jacen nodded in dejected understanding. Sure, maybe it was easy for a dead man to locate a lost Jedi Master, but Jacen had no idea where to even look on the planet. He could tell that this was going to be fun.

"Father, you said that you were watching me. What exactly have you seen?"

The dead jedi regarded his son silently for a moment, and then leaned in to speak to him.

"I know that you are troubled, but know this: the answers to what you seek will come in time." His spectral form leaned back. "Mind what you have learned, and beware the Dark Side. It may seem the easier way, but it will destroy you."

Jacen nodded, ashamed of the horrible deeds he had committed. As if he could hear his thoughts, Obi-Wan reassured his son.

"Do not forget the things that you have done. Acknowledge them, repent for them, and learn from them. Mistakes are not made in vain."

Obi-Wan stood.

"Go to Kothilis and find Frar. Trust in the Force, and you will be a Jedi."

Then he vanished.

Jacen was still too shocked by his father's appearance to be astonished by his sudden departure. In fact, he was beginning to get used to improbable things - such as a visit from a deceased relative - happening to him. The thought frightened Jacen.

The young man sat still in the chair, replaying the day's events in his mind as he absently picked at the cooled food on his shirt.

Kothilis, huh?

Well, he had wanted something to do. It looked as if he might not be so bored after all.


	7. Chapter Seven

**AN**: Hello everyone. I know that I said that I would update every week, and I am sorry that I haven't, but shortly after I posted chapter six my computer got another virus which wiped the entire hard drive and I had to get the computer fixed. At about the same time that the computer was being repaired, I went to the mountains to go tubing with some friends and I was cut off from the Internet (and even phone service). So now I'm back and ready to roll. In one week I will be heading back to school, but I will try to update more regularly. Sorry for the wait; this time most of it was out of my hands. Also, try to spot the references to a scene from ESB as well as another famous sci-fi film (I was feeling somewhat sarcastic when I wrote this chapter).

X

Jacen was glad to make it to Kothilis unscathed. Apparently his little run-in with Boba Fett had become big news: to the Empire, it meant that he was still alive; to ordinary citizens, it meant that someone had beaten the previously indomitable bounty hunter.

Jacen didn't think that Fett was enjoying this particular 'boost' to his career.

If anything, the young man was certain that his humiliation would cause Fett to double his efforts toward Jacen's eventual capture. And even if Fett decided to let him go - Jacen snorted at the thought - his sudden emergence and sub sequential disappearance had caused the Empire to become almost frantic in their determination to locate him. His slight 'detour' at Kothlis had proved the Imperials' resolution to Jacen.

He had thought that he had punched in the coordinates for the planet that his father had instructed him to find: Kothilis. Instead he had ended up in front of a similarly named planet - Kothlis - and an armada of Imperial star destroyers.

His first thought had been that somehow the Empire had tracked him down. As he realized that was impossible because even he had not known where he was headed until a few hours ago, Jacen calmed himself down as he tried to figure out why Imperial ships would be anchored outside a planet that his father had insisted would keep him safe.

It was then that he noticed he was at the wrong planet.

The ship's charts indicated that the brown and orange planet visible from the viewport was named Kothlis, not Kothilis. A quick search of the ship's database told Jacen that the planet he wanted, Kothilis, was a lesser-known sister to the one in front of him. Kothilis had a decent sized population and a stable economy, and in almost all respects was identical to her sister, but for some reason people preferred to go to Kothlis. Jacen hadn't cared to ponder the inner workings of thousands of alien minds, he only cared that Kothilis was a couple hundred thousand miles away. He could arrive there easily in under an hour, but he had to get through the Imperial armada first.

_The things I do to keep my life interesting_, he had thought as he stared at the hulking ships.

Luckily, the armada was a small one; it was at least one-fourth the size of a fully armed and battle-ready convoy. Of course, to Jacen size really didn't matter; he was still only one tiny ship against ten destroyers plus Force knew how many squadrons of TIE fighters.

In order to survive, Jacen was prepared to do what he did best: lie. Or at least stretch the truth about his identity, ship, purpose and general existence.

Unfortunately his planned ruse failed miserably; the Imperials recognized Jacen's ship from descriptions he guessed came from Fett and informed him that he was under arrest and was to prepare to be boarded once the ship was safely inside the leading destroyer's main hangar. Any resistance, he was told, would be met with laser fire and TIEs eager for a target.

Faced with death in two forms, Jacen had taken the only reasonable course of action: he ran.

The commander of the star destroyers, obviously surprised that someone would actually attempt to evade a convoy of the Imperial Navy, took a little too long in making good on his promise, which gave Jacen the lead he needed before the ships opened fire.

Naturally, Jacen's escape plan didn't involve much more than flying so that he wouldn't get fried, but he had learned that oftentimes the simplest plans worked the best and so he didn't attempt to alter his course. Of course, he was really flying by the seat of his pants, but he didn't want to admit that; his chances of survival seemed better if he thought he had a plan.

A few twists, dodges, one belly-churning dive and a great deal of carbon scouring later, Jacen had managed to type in the coordinates of a nearby planet and thrust the ship in to lightspeed.

He dropped out of hyperspace a few moments later, the armada far behind and probably very upset that its quarry had gotten away. This time his ruse had worked; the Imperials thought him to be light years away when he was only next door! Jacen had thought himself particularly clever at that moment.

He did a short scan of the ship to assess the damage from the battle, and when he was certain that there wasn't anything that would need immediate repair, he had turned in the direction of Kothilis and headed to the planet, which is where he was now.

Jacen scowled as he remembered the mix-up between Kothlis and Kothilis. Usually when beings populated a system with nearly identical planets they named the lesser worlds after their larger sibling. Planets with less than creative names were prevalent throughout the galaxy. Yavin IV was one example, named for the red giant Yavin; others included TMA-I and TMA-II. Why the citizens of this planet had decided to differentiate it from its sister by adding a single letter was beyond Jacen's comprehension. He was only certain about one thing, and that was his mistake regarding the two planets had nearly cost him his life.

Oh well. At least he hadn't been captured. Jacen didn't want to think about what that would have meant. For now he was stuck on Kothilis as he tried to locate Jedi Master Frar. Jacen figured that it wouldn't be safe for him to go around asking for information about a person who, like the rest of the jedi, was supposed to be dead. It would bring attention to him that he didn't want.

At the moment he was wandering through the dirty streets of a small town on the planet, aimlessly looking into shop windows to see if he noticed anyone who looked like they might be willing to help him. So far each time he approached someone they had hastily looked away or busied themselves with something else. Jacen was beginning to get the impression that the locals didn't like strangers much.

_Great. Now I have to overcome their xenophobia without actually talking to them_. Jacen sighed in slight desperation. _I'm never going to find this Jedi Master._

He wished that his father had given him more information on this master jedi than just a planet and a name. It would be nice to know what he looked like and even if he went by the name of Frar. Jacen knew that it was a possibility that the jedi had changed his name in order to maintain a low profile. After all, his father had done so to hide from the Empire.

It would be especially nice if he knew what part of the planet this jedi was located on so he could cease his so-far fruitless wanderings. But then again, what were the odds¸ that he would land in the right place on an unfamiliar planet and immediately find the person that he was searching for?

Jacen smiled to himself. _Like that would ever happen._

The young jedi was pulled from his musings as a man, who was particularly drunk, chose that moment to bump into Jacen. The impact of their bodies wasn't much, but it was enough to cause the man to stumble and fall on his rear.

Jacen blinked; he was surprised that he hadn't seen the man in time to avoid the collision. He focused on the man, who was trying to drink whatever liquor was left in the bottle he had in his hand. He was so drunk that every time he attempted to put the bottle to his mouth he missed completely and poured liquor on his eye. With each failed attempt, the man would sputter in surprise, try to lick whatever drops of the liquid trickled down his face, smile and again try to drink from his bottle.

Jacen shook his head in disgust. He was about to step over the drunkard when an idea occurred to him. He leaned over, grabbed onto the man's liquor-stained shirt, pulled him up and asked him directly about Frar. The man just stared blearily at Jacen, and then let his head drop to his chest as it became too much of an effort for him to keep it upright.

"Oh no you don't," Jacen said. "You don't get to pass out until after you answer me."

He shook the man until he looked up at Jacen and tried to focus on his face. Again the young jedi asked about Frar, and shook the man for emphasis. The man was obviously too incapacitated to realize that Jacen wasn't a local, as he pointed sluggishly behind him in the general direction of a path leading out of town. Jacen mumbled his thanks and lead the man out of the city streets so he wouldn't get mowed down in his drunken state.

Under ordinary circumstances, Jacen would never take directions from a drunk, but as the man's was the best lead so far he had little other choice than to follow the instructions given him. Besides, he could always ask people he met for directions if he thought he was lost. Well, assuming that they would help him.

The path leading away from the town beckoned to Jacen, and he left the now unconscious drunk and the tiny town behind as he set off to find the elusive jedi.

X

Hours later Jacen was sure that he was lost - after all, he had no idea where he was. There was nothing but hills and trees for as far as he could see, the path had long since disappeared behind numerous hills, and the planet's sun overhead informed him that it would be dusk in a few hours. If the Force hadn't been assuring him that he was safe, he would have been frightened at the prospect of spending the night alone in unfamiliar territory.

He had been following the instructions of a woman that he had met on the road earlier that day. Jacen had been surprised that she had heard of Frar and that she knew where to find the jedi master. The woman had given him basic directions and left with a single warning: be alert.

With him searching for a mysterious jedi master and the Empire on his tail, Jacen had taken her words of caution to heart, but he had so far traveled without incident. In fact, he was beginning to wonder if the woman had been lying when she said that she knew where Frar lived; he hadn't seen any dwelling since he started this journey.

Jacen shrugged to himself and kept moving. He had promised his father that he would at least try to find this Frar, and he was going to do so no matter how pointless his searching seemed to be.

About an hour later Jacen was considering turning in for the night when the Force gave his senses a dull warning: he was being followed.

Jacen continued walking as if he hadn't noticed the 'Force-nudge' and listened intently for any indication of another, or many, individuals. He heard nothing. He didn't believe that the Force would give him a false warning and so he reached for his weapon and moved to head back where he was sure his trackers were.

Unfortunately he never got the chance to ready his blaster. As Jacen was turning around a large stick came out of nowhere toward his face and he had to drop the gun in order to stop the branch from harming him.

Jacen grasped the branch with both hands and was surprised to feel that an incredible invisible force was pressing the branch against him. No sooner had he realized that than the power possessing the stick was lifted and it fell limply at the young man's feet.

Jacen stared at the fallen limb in brief bewilderment. He tried to look around to see who - or what - had controlled the branch, but his observations were cut short as he was attacked again.

A large something collided painfully with Jacen's back, which caused the young man to fall on his stomach on the forest floor, and a rock which would have smashed his head flew harmlessly over his groaning form.

Jacen gasped painfully for air and rolled himself onto his now-bruised back. He lifted his head and saw what had hit him: a very large rock, about twice the size of his head, was lying on the ground next to his legs.

As he tried to gather his thoughts - and dull the ache in his back - the rock began to move of its own accord, and Jacen watched dumbfounded as it began to rise in the air.

_What the hell?_

Jacen's mind was too engaged in figuring out how to survive to contemplate the phenomenon before him. He leaped up more quickly than he thought he was capable of at the moment, grabbed a thick stick from the ground and turned to face the mini-boulder floating in front of him.

The rock lunged at his head and Jacen had to duck to avoid being decapitated. He spun and the rock came at him again, but this time he was prepared and slashed at the rock as it flew by. The stick broke in half as it made contact with the rock and Jacen quickly dropped the wooden pieces.

Now what?

He didn't have time to think, but only react as the rock came by for another pass. The rock slowed as it encountered a powerful barrier, and it was only then that Jacen realized he was using the Force to stop the rock from harming him.

Encouraged by his success so far, Jacen concentrated more clearly on the rock. He felt the force opposing him - it was stronger, more confident and well defined, but Jacen ignored all of this and focused on overcoming its hold on the rock. The other force was surprised with Jacen's movements - the rock fell slightly as the opposing power faltered - and Jacen took advantage of the momentary dip and used the Force to hurl the rock into a large boulder protruding from the ground. The rock that had been attacking Jacen shattered and its pieces went flying in all directions.

Jacen's body heaved as he tried to regain control of himself and he turned to face the silent forest.

"Come out! I know you're there!" He knew that someone was there and he knew that they had been behind his recent attack. Jacen wanted to face them, but no one answered his cry.

From the corner of his eye Jacen saw a flash of red, but as he turned to look the Force screamed at him in warning and he barely reacted in time to stop the fist coming at his face. He grabbed the hand, and then gasped as another punched him in the stomach. He stumbled back, cradling his burning abdomen, and then fell forward as he was kicked across the face.

Jacen wiped his face and pushed himself up only to be kicked in the stomach and again in the face. He reached out blindly and caught hold of something - he thought it was a foot - and twisted. Hard.

For a moment Jacen thought that he had hurt his attacker, but then a double kick to his chest told him otherwise. He fell on his back and gulped as he felt weight placed against his abdomen.

Jacen was confused and disoriented. _Who - ?_ He blinked his eyes rapidly and they gradually began to refocus. What he saw sent chills down his spine.

A blue bladed lightsaber hovered inches above his face and Jacen instantly froze – he didn't want to lose anything by moving too quickly. His eyes slowly followed the blade upwards, past a foot and leg holding him to the ground to a face that he recognized.

Jacen stifled a gasp. _She's the one I met on the road! _

The woman appeared to be middle-aged and she was frowning slightly at the young man below her, her graying red hair falling haphazardly into light brown eyes.

Jacen finally ventured to speak. "Master Frar?"

The woman nodded in response and hauled Jacen to his feet.

"I told you to be alert," she said and turned off into the woods, giving Jacen no choice other than to follow.


	8. Chapter Eight

**AN: **I know that this story is taking a while to complete, but this chapter marks the beginning of the end. Yes, we are finally getting in to the stuff that is relevant to the plot of Part Two. So read and review as I improve upon Lucas's epic tale.

Oh, the references in the previous chapter are:

I made fun of the fact that Luke just happened to land in the correct place on Dagobah by having Jacen wander around Kothilis looking for Frar, and

TMA-I and TMA-II are references to _2001: A Space Odyssey_. Those are the names of the giant monoliths on the moon and one of the moons of Jupiter.

If you got the references, good for you. If not, go watch _Empire Strikes Back_ and _2001_. Then reread chapter seven. It will make much more sense and you will praise my sarcasm and wit.

Read onwards, my minions! Read on!

X

**I would like to add that there are many reasons why it has taken me so long to update. They include school, tests, never-ending writing assignments, etc. Let me put it this way: my schedule has gone far beyond hectic. In fact, I would love for it to be hectic, because then I would actually have time to breathe and think about what I am doing instead of being forced to go through the motions of studying, writing, etc. due to the lack of time to do anything else. **

**In fact, I am writing this during one of the very few breaks that I have. I should be studying for a test, writing two papers and completing three projects, but I say phooey on work for now. If I don't do something creative soon, I will go insane.**

**And on that note, professors are evil. Why they all assign oodles of stuff to do AT THE SAME TIME will forever confound me. It's amazing that I still have semblances of coherent thought left. Really.**

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_What fire does not destroy, it hardens - Oscar Wilde _(now who does that remind us of?)

_Truth is entirely and absolutely a matter of style - same person _(which ghostly Jedi does that sound like?)

_One should always play fairly...when one has the winning cards - still same dead guy _(can you say Palpatine? Man, I'm on a friggin roll here!)

_Idleness gives one the mood in which to write, isolation the conditions - ditto _(yeah, that's me. Whoo.)

Okay. I think I've postponed this long enough. The story:

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On the outside the house that Master Frar brought him to was a miserable-looking hovel that was very obviously in its final throes of existence. The poor hut was little more than four wooden sides and a roof plastered with brown and red globs of dried mud to cover the abundant holes, cracks and gaps littered about the enduring structure.

A small continuous wisp of smoke was spiraling lazily from the house, and Jacen realized two things about the jedi master that he hadn't before. First that the jedi lived in this shanty and secondly, her sanity must be in question if she habitually let a fire burn untended in what was clearly not a house but a large stack of kindling.

Jacen seriously worried for his well being as he followed the jedi into her home, and his jaw dropped as he got his first look of the interior of Frar's house. If the outside had shocked him even a little, the inside stupefied him into dumb disbelief.

Instead of walking in to mildewing walls, a rickety floor and an ancient moth-eaten rug with a permanent funk woven into its fibers like he had been expecting, Jacen found himself staring at what was quite possibly the cleanest, most homey-looking place he had been in three years.

The wooden floor was obviously foot-worn, but it was completely free of mud or dirt. The walls mimicked the cleanliness of the floor, and the single window in the house, foggy from condensation caused by the warm fire, had faded red curtains hung around its frame. There was also a small staircase leading to an upper portion of the house that Jacen had failed to notice from the outside.

A strong but pleasant fragrance of wet earth and faint spice assaulted Jacen as he breathed in the room, caused by the variety of plants and herbs that hung from the ceiling as they dried.

A faded rug rested on the worn floorboards, and nearby was a handmade chair and a small table. A basket woven from the needles of a strange plant, half-full with more herbs, rested in the chair and on top of the table lay herbs in various stages of preparation. A small pile of the plants waited to be separated as others nearby were cut, and still others were tied in bundles at their ends, waiting to be hung with their companions on the ceiling.

Finally there was a primitive stove that was placed over burning coals under the chimney. A pot of unfamiliar liquid was boiling on the stove. Frar, noticing the steam coming from the pot, quickly took off and hung up her cloak before moving to check on whatever she was making.

Jacen continued to stare at the interior of the house, surprised beyond measure. Not even his mother's down-to-earth, spotless lifestyle could compare to this.

He moved farther into the room and turned to Frar, who was busy stirring at her pot of liquid.

Jacen was still surprised that he had found Frar. Well, maybe 'found' wasn't the best word to use. Being tripped, beaten, humiliated and then threatened by the aforementioned jedi was closer to the truth. Jacen's right hand grabbed at his side and he grimaced at the lingering pain from his earlier meeting with Frar. That was not an experience that he wished to repeat.

He looked over at the older jedi and found himself studying his future tutor. It had startled him when he realized that the great jedi master he had been searching for was a woman, and it still did. Jacen supposed that it shouldn't have come as such as shock to him - the Force could be present in females as well as males - but since his entire experience with jedi had, until this point, been only with men, seeing a woman jedi (a woman that kicked his butt, too) had surprised him.

Master Frar was a middle-aged human, perhaps a few years younger than his father would have been if he had lived. The vibrant strands of her natural red hair were drowned in a sea of silvery gray, but portions of the red would occasionally resurface before being washed over by waves of white hair.

At the moment Frar had her lengthy hair pulled up in a complicated quasi-bun that twisted just under the top of her skull to make a slight arc to the base of her skull that formed into a long ponytail which traveled to her mid-back. From the front shorter strands were gathered between her ears and her face, twisted and decorated with tiny trinkets.

The hairstyle was strange, but oddly beautiful. A tribute to Frar's origins on some unnamed planet, perhaps? Or a mark of an eccentric with an appreciation for nature? Jacen wasn't sure, and continued his exploration of the female jedi.

She wore a home woven dress and pants. The dress was dark green, which helped to accent her hidden red hair. The pants were brown and hidden under the folds of her dress, which reached to her ankles. It was only when she moved quickly, or sat down that the pants were visible to an observer. She wore boots matching the pants as well as a gray undershirt that flared into wide sleeves.

The undershirt - or at least the sleeves, Jacen couldn't see the rest - had patterns sewn onto it. Intricate and colorful designs of symbols unknown to Jacen flowed from Frar's elbows to her wrists. Occasionally Jacen thought that some of the designs matched the trinkets in her hair, but he wasn't positive.

Lastly Jacen noticed that Frar had a bag used for carrying small items attached to what he believed was a scarf modified into a belt. Near the bag hung her lightsaber which, he remembered with a chill, was a very bright blue.

Jacen cleared his throat and Frar turned around and looked at the young man with her brilliant golden-brown eyes.

"Why do you live all the way out here in the woods, Master?" Jacen asked.

Frar smiled and turned back to the stove, pouring the contents of the pot into something rubbery.

"For my protection," she replied simply.

Jacen furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Your protection?"

"Yes. Being a jedi is a dangerous profession with the Empire trying to kill us. And so I have found it to my advantage to stay away from society. From people."

Jacen understood that. His father had done the same on Tatoo -

"Wait. 'Us?'"

Frar turned back to Jacen and smiled again. "There are more jedi. Didn't you know that?" When Jacen shook his head she shrugged. "I'm not really surprised." She handed Jacen the rubber heat pack. "Here. This will help your side feel better."

Jacen took the pack gratefully and placed it against his side where Frar had kicked him earlier. Immediately the heat spread through the injury and the pain subsided a bit. Jacen sighed in relief.

Frar nodded, satisfied that Jacen would be all right. She moved to the other side of the room, placed the basket on top of the herbs on the table and sat down in her chair, facing Jacen.

"Bring that over here and sit down," Frar said, nodding to a stool in one of the corners of the room.

Jacen retrieved the stool and sat in front of the jedi master, the heat pack pressed firmly against his side.

The aged jedi master gazed at Jacen for a while, looking him over and going through the events of the day in her mind. Finally, she spoke.

"The people around here think I am a witch. Many of them want me to heal their sick children or flocks, and others - not just locals - want me dead, but none of them would be so foolish as to ask for the whereabouts of a supposedly dead jedi." Frar paused and gave Jacen a significant look. "Who are you and why did you seek me out? And how did you know I am a jedi?"

Jacen was a bit taken aback by the jedi's line of questioning, but he returned her gaze evenly and replied.

"My name is Jacen Rhodes. I want to become a jedi, and my father told me to come to Kothilis and find you to train me. I asked people about you because I wasn't given very specific directions, and I am sorry if I caused you any trouble."

"Though not so much trouble as I gave you, eh?" Frar smiled and indicated the heat pack still at Jacen's side.

Jacen didn't return the grin, but the jedi hadn't seemed to notice because she had dropped the smile and now seemed to be concentrating on what Jacen had told her.

She looked over at Jacen, golden-brown eyes sharp.

"Your father told you to find me? And he gave you the name of this planet?"

Jacen nodded.

Frar gave the young man a very intense look, one that told him not to lie to her.

"Who is your father?"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi."

A look of genuine surprise crossed on the jedi master's face as Jacen revealed his paternity.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi is your father?"

"Was. He was killed three years ago."

Frar didn't appear to have heard him. "You look just like him," she said, her voice barely above a whisper from her own respect for the former jedi.

Jacen felt his cheeks redden in embarrassment and he suddenly became very conscious of his blonde hair and bright blue eyes - the two traits of his that he knew were most like his father's.

To break the silence and Frar's incessant gaze, he said, "You knew my father?"

Frar blinked and her eyes refocused as Jacen's voice brought her from her memories of the past.

"No, I didn't know him personally, but your father was a very well-known jedi and general. Some of the things that he and his apprentice did were legendary."

Jacen couldn't believe his good fortune to find somebody who remembered his father! He was enraptured by the things that Frar was telling him, and he didn't want her to stop.

"His apprentice?"

At Jacen's question, Frar abruptly stopped talking and had the unmistakable look of someone who knows that they have said too much.

"Never mind," she said, standing. "I'll tell you about it later."

Jacen stood with her. "Later?"

Frar turned her gaze to Jacen. "Yes, later. For now we have to get to bed. We have got quite a day ahead of us." She walked across the room, picked up some blankets and tossed them to Jacen, who caught them deftly.

"You can sleep on the floor. If anything big crawls over you just hold your breath and whatever you do, don't scream," she said as she lit a candle and put the fire out in the stove. The light from the candle gave her face an eerie glow as she looked over at the stunned young man. "That really irritates them," Frar explained and went upstairs, leaving a paralyzed Jacen in total darkness.


	9. Chapter Nine

This was _not _how he expected to spend his first day of training.

Jacen was standing blindfolded in a clearing in the forest, some two or three miles from Frar's mockery of a house, tired and trying desperately to block the multitude of tiny objects assaulting him. Frar stood opposite of him, her saber held lightly in her left hand and a slight frown on her face as she manipulated the Force to send small rocks flying toward her new apprentice.

Jacen was supposed to be using the Force to block the tiny missiles that were attacking him and the blindfold required him to rely on his powers, rather than sight to sense the rocks. He had also been ordered not to move to avoid the stones since it would distract him from the task at hand.

As it was, Frar's lightsaber was distracting him enough. The jedi had given no indication that the weapon was to be an active part of the exercise, but Frar's firm grip on the handle had him on the edge.

The image of Frar's saber poised at his throat burned in his mind and Jacen's hands involuntarily clenched at the memory. A few centimeters closer and he would have been a head shorter - literally. It was, Jacen realized, suddenly feeling nauseous, an unpleasant parallel to his father's demise.

The scene played before him as if it were actually happening: _The crimson blade arched high and wide, Vader deliberately taking his time as he mocked the old jedi in his remaining moments of existence before the saber tore through cloth and skin, cleaving his father in two ..._

The vivid memory opened old wounds in Jacen's heart, and he screamed out with the Force, all rage directed at one person: Vader.

_No! I must not do this! I must not give in! _Jacen told himself and instantly his anger was gone, no more than an echo in his mind.

"Good job, Jacen!"

His master's voice startled him, bringing back to the present. What did she mean by 'good job'? Jacen tugged at the blindfold over his eyes and lifted it to see Frar pointing to the ground, a smile on her face.

He gasped when he looked down. Several feet from him were the rocks Frar had been throwing at him, all laying in a perfect circle around him on the ground.

How had he done that? He had been having such difficulty focusing to keep the barrier up while sensing the stones in time to deflect them, and had the bruises to prove it. A greater use of the Force was required to manipulate the rocks like that, and he wasn't capable of that kind of control yet. He must have done this when he was ... well, not exactly in a fit of rage, but close to it. That extra burst of the Force, Jacen realized, was him unconsciously controlling the stones. _He _put them in that circle, _made _that circle. Jacen felt a strange mix of accomplishment and power in completing the task fill him, even if it was a small job.

"Okay, let's do it again."

Jacen was confused by Frar's words. Why do it again? He had just deflected the rocks! Beside, he didn't want to do this anymore - those little rocks hurt after a while.

As if reading his mind, Frar explained, "You did it once. Show me that you can do it again."

Show her? Didn't she even know how he had blocked those annoying stones? He was pretty sure that a jedi could sense the dark side from the light. A quick look at Frar motioning for him to put his blindfold down told him that she wasn't aware of his brief skirmish with the dark, or if she was, she didn't saying anything about it.

Jacen shrugged to himself. Maybe it was better if she didn't know. He dug his heels into the ground, quickly created what he hoped was a strong barrier and waited for Frar to commence the stoning.

A thousand senses assaulted Jacen as he opened himself to the universe around him, and he could not just sense, but _feel_ the Force as it flowed around him - from the blinding presence that was his master to the luminous spirit of the giant forest surrounding him. The Force shimmered slightly and Jacen 'saw' it bend as it guided the rock toward him. He gathered the Force about him, _pushed, _and ...

_... wind sliced mercilessly at his aching body, and a deafening roar blocked all sound to his ears. An insistent hammering in his chest beat in time with his speeding feet ... he wiped his forehead and eyes to clear his blurred vision, but instead of sweat he tasted fear ... fear and terror pouring from his body like blood from an open wound. The world upended itself, spun and gyrated in a dizzying vortex ... the angry glow of a blood-red saber hissed at his throat ... disappeared ... a blinding light ... and all faded into darkness except for the even breathing of a monstrous tower of terror ... _

Jacen hissed through clenched teeth as the rock penetrated his now-feeble Force barrier and struck him in the chest. He clutched at his suddenly trembling heart, but it wasn't the impact of the rock that caused him pain.

_What the hell _was_ that?_

Frar seemed to be unaware of the slight change in Jacen's concentration, and chastised him for his failure to deflect the rock.

"Jacen, you must focus!"

Focus. Right. Jacen shook his head to clear himself of the disturbing images and forced his heart to return to its normal pace.

Jacen grumbled slightly to himself at the absurdity of the situation he was in. He had spent a sleepless night dreaming of huge furry creatures crawling on top of him, had gotten up before daylight to run, sprint and perform a series of grueling gymnastics that would make any seasoned acrobat feel like a novice, and was currently role playing as a human bulls-eye.

He was beyond tired, he was exhausted and to top it off, he was going crazy. Cries for help from an oxygen-deprived brain or not, those images seriously freaked him out. He was no fool; he knew who that ruby blade belonged to ...

Jacen fought the sudden hate that rushed through his body. _Focus, _he told himself. _Just block a few more of these blasted rocks and you will be done._

He pushed the disturbing scenes away and concentrated on what he was doing, but he was so distracted by the intensity of that vision - _that fear and pure, unrestrained terror! _- that he was barely able to block the next several flying stones.

Jacen was a little disappointed that none of the rocks went as far as those in the still-unbroken circle, but Frar seemed satisfied with his performance. She walked up to Jacen, untied his blindfold and smiled gently at her apprentice.

"You have mastered a few of the basic techniques well, but what I teach goes beyond simple mind tricks. A jedi is a warrior of the Force. You must learn to control not only weapons," here she lifted her saber so Jacen could see it clearly, "but the Force as well."

Jacen's eyes flickered to the lightsaber in Master Frar's hand and rubbed his shoulder where a stone had hit him earlier. He didn't mind learning how to control the Force, so long as it didn't involve rocks of any kind.

Frar smiled, as if hearing Jacen's thoughts. "You must be willing to give yourself completely to this task."

"Of course I wi - "

"You will doubt," Frar warned, "and you will fear." The harsh sincerity in her voice made Jacen's heart nearly stop in sudden dread. Just what was he getting himself into?

He realized that Frar was watching him, waiting for an answer. He swallowed thickly and opened his mouth to speak, his decision made.

"I don't care," he said, wetting suddenly dry lips. "I will do whatever it takes to become a jedi, like my father before me."

Frar gazed at Jacen a few moments longer and Jacen knew the jedi was probing him, measuring his sincerity and potential. After a few more agonizing minutes, Frar nodded and smiled at the boy.

"On to your first real lesson, then, where you will learn that there is more to the Force than lifting rocks."

_Thank goodness_, Jacen thought and walked in step next to the jedi master, not realizing that with those steps he was catching up to a destiny which had finally gotten tired of waiting for him to find.

_Destiny is our choice. Fate is our challenge._

_-Michael DeToma_


	10. Chapter Ten

I celebrate my departure from Australia (5 months!) with the long-awaited continuation of Epic! Enjoy - I'll probably be somewhere over the Pacific Ocean when you read this. Cheers! - Relyan

Since his thrilling lesson as a human dart board Jacen had spent the subsequent weeks under Frar's tutelage learning about the nature of the Force. Obi-Wan had told him that the Force was everywhere and that it bonded the universe together, and though that was a treasured, if not slightly confusing description, Frar had given Jacen a more precise definition of this cosmic power.

"The Force," Frar had explained, "is energy that is created by all living things. People sensitive to this energy are able to harness and manipulate it. For example, when I levitate a rock, I am not simply changing its position or location. I alter the energy generated by the stone so that it can hover until I let the energy resume its natural course, and the rock drops to the ground."

Frar's explanation may have lacked the enigmatic tone that jedi loved to speak in, but at least it was coherent. Even if it was about mystical life-powered energy fields.

In any case, Jacen had soon discovered that - and afterwards he wondered why he hadn't realized it sooner - the Force was a part of him, just as much as his blond hair and blue eyes. Using the Force became as natural as breathing to the young jedi. Instead of struggling to create the Force, Jacen realized that it was already there - he only had to call for it to answer. And the Force was there, every time, like an old friend waiting to greet him after a long absence.

Jacen's master had not limited his training to just maneuvering the Force; she included instruction in weapons and self-defence as well.

With one exception, all of his training had taken place in the secluded forest clearing where Frar had taken him weeks ago for his first lesson. Jacen's pride was still stinging from that particular ... well, 'incident' wasn't quite the right word. More like 'near-disaster'.

Jacen had been excited as his first morning of weapons training began. Because he didn't have a lightsaber, Frar had given him hers to practice with. He had started with basic warm-up exercises, with his master encouraging him and correcting him when needed. Everything had been going well until Frar decided that he should try defending himself against a live target. Jacen was confused, thinking that the target would be Frar, but then Frar lifted a cloth covering what Jacen had thought were more stones to reveal an outdated, but functional practice droid.

Jacen hated those droids. They were round with dozens of holes that emitted a small electric discharge. When turned on, the practice droid would fly into the air and once its opponent was ready, would dart in all directions and spin to confuse its opponent, and then ZAP! The droid would shoot at its enemy. If the student was unable to successfully block the attack he or she would experience minor discomfort from the bolt as the electricity made contact with the body.

The last time Jacen had faced one of those droids his right arm had gone numb for 15 minutes. That was not an experience that he wanted to repeat. And so he had stared at the tiny droid in abject horror until Frar yelled at him to pay attention and get ready for the exercise.

Twenty minutes or so later he had managed to block more shots than he had received, but his side and bottom left leg were tingling from the remains of missed shots, which made it difficult for him to remain standing. What happened in the next few minutes, Jacen believed, were entirely the droid's fault. Well, maybe not entirely ... but it was definitely more the droid's fault than his.

Jacen had lunged to block an incoming blast from the droid, but as he moved his foot back to act as a counterbalance, the extra weight put on his left leg was too much. The leg buckled, taking Jacen with it. He was so surprised that he still attempted to block the shot with Frar's lightsaber as he fell.

The saber connected with the blast at such an acute angle that instead of being absorbed by the blade's heat the tiny electronic bolt was deflected. Jacen hit the ground and looked up just in time to see the bolt slice through a thick tree branch above Frar's home. The part of the branch that had been cut caught on fire and engulfed the rest of the branch as it fell. It landed on the dry wood roof of the house, which immediately began to burn. The fire might have been contained had the wind not blown the flaming branch across the roof, leaving a searing inferno it is wake.

Jacen had not been able to believe what had happened, and neither, apparently, did Frar. His master stared at the growing conflagration in a somewhat humorous mixture of disbelief and horror for only a moment before flinging herself into action. In a matter of seconds she was headed to the water pump, calling to Jacen to help her.

An hour later the fire on the roof was out, the grass surrounding the fallen branch was smouldering but held little danger, and the house was soaked to prevent any part of it from catching on fire.

Frar didn't blame him for the fire, and she was incredibly calm throughout the entire ordeal. Afterwards, when the fire no longer posed as a threat to the house or the surrounding area, the jedi had simply picked up her fallen lightsaber and said, "You did good today, at both ... drills. We just need to work on your ... technique ... a bit."

Frar's veiled comment about the fire had hurt his pride a bit; he thought that he had been doing pretty well until his leg went numb. But he had to smile when he saw laying on the ground next to the now-charred branch was the practice droid, it's 'head' split in two.

Frar hadn't mentioned the 'incident' again, but all of his training sessions had been moved to the clearing and the lightsaber had been replaced with sparring sticks. And a large bucket of water was present at all times.

Jacen stood in the clearing now, the trees surrounding it bearing quite a few more scorch marks than they had in the past. But he wasn't here for another lesson. Instead, Jacen was about to undergo a test: he had to face his master in battle.


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter Eleven

AN: This is my first post after returning to the United States! It feels so good to be back. I had a lot of fun in Australia, but nothing beats the comfort of being home again. So far I have been spending my time tying up loose ends and meeting people that I haven't seen since February. My roommate from college came to visit me for a few days, in which time we watched all 6 Star Wars films in one day (15 hours-ish). We made t-shirts to commemorate our accomplishment. Anyway, I'm back and have nothing big to distract me from writing (except life, that is). Enjoy the chapter!

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The above was written many months ago. At the moment I am taking a break from studying for finals to actually update. No, it's not a sign of the coming of the Apocalypse. I'm just finally updating after six months. Enjoy the chapter, it might be the last time you hear from me in a while (my advice: read slowly - it'll help savor the experience).

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Jedi Master Adelaide Frar and her apprentice stood facing each other in the clearing that had served as Jacen's training ground since the day he had nearly burned his master's house to the ground.

Today was the day that Jacen was to be tested on his ability to defend himself in battle against a jedi. It promised to be a much different experience from his previous encounters with drug lords, petty criminals, bounty hunters and folks just hoping to get lucky.

"Jacen," Frar said, coming to stand in front of her apprentice, "give me your sparring sticks."

Jacen scrunched his face up in confusion, but handed the sticks over to his master, who tucked them into a bag on her belt.

"Here," she said, unbuckling a saber from her waist. She held the weapon out to Jacen, who eyed the lightsaber warily before taking it from her.

"We will use real weapons today, not old sticks," Frar explained.

"But won't we hurt each other if we use these? You know, permanently?"

Frar nodded gravely. "We would. This is why I have lowered the setting on the blades of both weapons. If we do strike one another, the blade will only burn us slightly, rather than sever a limb."

Jacen paused in his examination of his weapon and slowly raised his head to gaze at his master in incredulity. "Oh," he said. "Well, that's better ... I think."

Jacen resumed his examination of the ancient weapon in his hands. His fingers and palm fit naturally into grooves formed by the weapon's former owner. Scratches and tiny dents on the saber's surface rubbed against the skin of his hand, testaments to the weapon's many years of use.

His eye caught sight of something scribbled on the saber. It looked a lot like some kind of writing, but it was from a language that he didn't recognize. The etchings went completely around the weapon, and there was more by the saber's on/off switch.

"Uh, Master? There seems to be some kind of writing on my lightsaber. Do you know what it is?"

Frar turned around to face her apprentice.

"Oh, that's just some sith incantation. Says something about imbuing the holder with the powers of darkness so that he may defeat his foe and take over the galaxy."

Jacen paused. "Are you sure that I should be using this, then?"

"Of course. Although the sith are very real, their myths are no more than just that. As for the incantation, it's nothing more than empty words. It won't harm you."

Somehow, telling Jacen that an ancient sith weapon made with the intent of galactic conquest was harmless did not reassure him.

He glanced back at the weapon in his hands. Jacen was glad to have something other than a stick to fight with, but this didn't feel right. Holding the weapon made him feel strange, like he wasn't entirely in control of himself. But the sith who wielded this was long gone. Sith magic couldn't last after its maker was dead, though, could it?

No matter what his master said, he couldn't shake off the feeling that wielding this saber was wrong. Very wrong.

Adelaide had made it to the other side of the clearing by now. She turned, and yelled to Jacen, "Prepare yourself!"

In a single fluid movement, Adelaide unhooked her lightsaber, bowed to Jacen and ignited her blade, its light making her face glow deep blue.

Jacen's stomach churned and adrenaline pumped through his veins as his every nerve stood poised, ready to fight.

He quickly imitated his master's bow, as he had been taught, and thumbed his weapon on. A ruby-red blade extended from his grasp around the saber's hilt, angry and full of life. For some reason Jacen thought that he could feel the weapon's hunger, its lust for blood as if it were alive. A flash of another red lightsaber slicing through his father's body blazoned in his mind. Jacen quickly shoved the memory away. He needed to concentrate.

"Focus," he told himself. "Focus or Master Frar will grind you into dust."

Barely had the words left his mouth when Frar hurled herself at Jacen, lightsaber raised in attack. The Force rang in warning and immediately Jacen snapped his saber up to block the jedi master.

Frar's lightsaber slammed against Jacen's, and the apprentice had to put extra weight on his front leg to prevent Frar from pushing him over. Jacen shifted his weight to push against his master and shoved hard into Frar's center of gravity.

Frar fell a few steps back from Jacen, but the sudden appearance of space where his master had been surprised Jacen and he stumbled forward.

It turned out that he didn't have to worry about catching himself, because an invisible force slammed into his person, lifting him clear off the ground and into the air. Jacen hit the ground several feet from where he had been standing, the sudden jolt of his impact loosing his weapon from his grasp.

Jacen had a few seconds to clear the stars from his head before Frar advanced, lunging at him yet again. He called the fallen saber to him and it immediately flew into his open hand. Clutching the weapon tightly, Jacen used the Force to launch himself over Frar. He thumbed the saber on in mid-air, twisted, landed behind Frar and swung his lightsaber at her back.

Frar turned so fast that to a normal observer she would have appeared as nothing more distinct than a blur of green and blue. Jacen, however, witnessed her movements so clearly that is seemed she was deliberately taking her time to bring her lightsaber around to meet Jacen's.

Time sped up and their lightsabers clashed, the fiery blades sizzling as they made contact with each other.

Quickly they slashed at each other, alternating between downward and upward attacks. Frar, who was more experienced at combat, gained more ground as she pushed her apprentice closer to the edge of the clearing.

Jacen was sweating. Force, this woman was insane! She hadn't been kidding when she said this would test the depths of his ability.

He needed to do something fast, but Frar was attacking him so ferociously that it was taking all of his concentration just to block her onslaught. What could he do?

Sudden clarity came to his mind, almost as if in answer to his silent plea.

It seemed strange, but the grooves made by the deep runes cut into the hilt of his lightsaber slowly began to heat up. Jacen could feel it on his palms and fingers, and wondered briefly if it was due to the close contact with Frar's blade or merely his imagination. Both notions were proved wrong as the rest of the hilt became fiery hot.

The heat flared the instant it came into contact with the skin of Jacen's hands and an electric jolt ran deep through the young man's body. At the same time the hilt cooled and an overwhelming urge to humble his master bubbled in Jacen's consciousness.

Attack. Destroy. Hold nothing back.

Strength surged through Jacen at his call. He deftly sidestepped to his left, and seeing an opening, brought the angry red of his blade against Frar's upper right arm. A dark part of Jacen, that was at the same time him and not him, reveled in the sight of his master's burning flesh.

Frar jerked away from Jacen, moving her wrist to beat his blade away from her. Removing one hand from its grasp on her weapon's hilt, Frar twisted her body so she was closer to Jacen, and slammed her elbow between his shoulder and neck.

Jacen fell, shocked, but had enough presence of mind to lock his right leg with his master's left, knocking her to the ground with him.

Reigniting his saber, Jacen jumped up and pointed the blade at Frar's throat. His triumphant smile quickly turned to a frown when Adelaide returned her apprentice's grin and thrust his blade out of the way with her own.

Adelaide rose to her feet, gazing hard at her apprentice.

Jacen, who thought he knew what that gaze meant, sought to distract his master.

"You cheated," he stated. It was infantile, he knew, but he hoped it was a simple enough distraction to work.

Adelaide carefully hooked a lock of hair behind her ears, never once allowing her gaze to leave Jacen's. She followed Jacen's wary circling with her eyes, noting how hard he gripped his now deactivated lightsaber.

The power that came from the boy ... Adelaide quickly tucked that thought away in her mind. She would have to meditate on it later; there were more immediate things to take care of.

She decided to answer her apprentice's obvious evasion. Perhaps she could glean more information from him this way. After all, small talk and taunting weren't unknown occurrences in battle. This could prove to be a useful lesson for the young jedi.

_And the old as well_, Adelaide thought to herself.

"Cheated? I merely followed through on an opportunity, which you took advantage of yourself," she indicated to the seared fabric of her upper arm. "Don't be so quick to believe that all of your opponents will adhere to the rules of engagement."

Jacen smiled to himself; his ruse seemed to have worked! Nevertheless, he still kept an eye on his master. "But if no one follows the rules, why have them to begin with?"

"To understand the rules is to understand the boundaries of combat. But that does not mean that you deviate from them readily. You follow the rules of combat because you respect your opponent, even if it is an enemy." Frar paused, thinking for a moment. "That is a difference between jedi and sith. A sith will take every advantage that is given to them, regardless of others. They follow no moral code. A jedi, on the other hand, strikes only in defense; never in attack. In combat you seek to defeat your opponent, but not to kill. Jedi kill only when they are left with no alternative."

"But how do you know what to do? How do you determine the light from the dark?"

"You will feel it. The choice to disable rather than kill, or to kill instead of weaken is an individual decision. The division between the dark and the light is often a thin line, one which we walk with respect and caution."

Adelaide's gaze pierced Jacen's, and the young man was filled with the knowledge that the jedi was examining the depths of his soul. All that he was and ever had been, was open for her to see.

Oddly enough, Jacen felt only mildly uncomfortable under his master's gaze. Still, there were things that she should not see. Jacen raised his shields to block Frar from going any further in his mind and tensed for the continuation of the battle.

"How will I know what to expect, then?" Jacen asked.

"Trust in yourself and the Force. It will guide you to help anticipate the moves of your opponent." With that, Frar raised her lightsaber, swiftly ignited it and in one fluid motion brought the blade down on Jacen's face.

The Force screamed in warning, but to Jacen it sounded no louder than a distant bell. Through the Force he could see Frar moving in slow motion: the golden-brown of her eyes narrowing as she concentrated on her assault, the sweat glistening on her forehead and the languid flowing of her hair as she moved across the clearing.

Everything was clear to him: Frar's movement, body and every blade of grass that she crushed in her path to him was open for him to examine, as he had been mere seconds ago to his master. Even Frar's intended path of attack was visible to him.

Jacen didn't understand. It was so easy, didn't Frar see that?

It was quite simple, really. All he had to do was bring up his weapon, turn and Frar's deadly attack would be deflected. And so he did just that.

Immediately Frar's ice-blue blade lambasted his own. Jacen's entire body shook with the intensity of the sabers' contact.

He couldn't see anything; his whole world was a glowing orb of blue. Jacen knew, distantly, that his master's blade was centimeters from his face. He also knew that although the weapons were on their lowest setting, the blade would have killed him had he not blocked it.

The knowledge that he was literally staring at death spurred Jacen into action. With a burst of the Force Jacen twirled away from his master. The back of his right leg bumped into something wooden. Without stopping to think, Jacen grabbed the bucket and hurled it at Frar.

The bucket flew into the air, spun until it was facing Frar, who sliced the bucket in half ... which promptly exploded water into the jedi's surprised face.

Jacen smiled smugly at the soaked and dripping jedi. "Did you anticipate that?"

Frar managed to send a glare at her apprentice through the hair plastered to her face.

"The bucket, yes. However the water was a ..." here Adelaide paused, and used the Force to send a small rock at Jacen. The stone struck Jacen in the head with what Adelaide considered to be an extremely satisfying 'thwack'.

Jacen grabbed the side of his head in surprise. His response died on his lips when he saw his master.

Adelaide had a large grin on her face. She knew Jacen's unspoken question and shrugged.

"... surprise," she finished.

X

Additional note: I had never used Frar's first name before (although I have known it since around chapter six) because I could never figure out how to use it without the presentation becoming awkward (somewhat like that sentence). Her name is Adelaide Frar, and the name means 'noble', if you were curious.


	12. Chapter Twelve

Chapter Twelve

Jacen sat alone in the woods, meditating.

He was still disturbed from his duel a few days ago. He'd so easily given in to his emotions and allowed his desire to prove himself to overwhelm him, to the extent that he'd succumbed to cheap tricks and even injured his master. Frar's words to him after the battle still resonated in his head:

"You must learn control!"

Jedi were always in control of their emotions, whereas sith were ruled by them. He wondered briefly what emotions ruled Vader, but then dismissed the thought.

_Concentrate._

Jacen exhaled and tried to clear his mind. He breathed in.

_There is no emotion, there is peace._

He breathed out.

_There is no passion, there is serenity._

His mind and body relaxed, and almost without effort Jacen opened himself to the Force.

His mind wandered, sensing everything and nothing as the energy of the planet filled him. Everything was calm, at peace.

Some time later, deep in meditation, Jacen frowned. Something wasn't right. It felt as if …

Jacen's eyes snapped open.

_Master!_

He was on his feet and running toward Frar's house before he'd even finished the thought.

His master was in trouble; Jacen could feel her distress through the fragile bond they shared.

What was it? Jacen reached out with the Force, trying to discover what disturbed Master Frar. He sensed ill intent, but no Force awareness. Whatever was happening, Vader wasn't involved.

Thick, black smoke poured from Frar's home. It twirled and twisted as it slipped from open windows and between cracks in the wooden siding. Angry flames beat against the boards, frantically trying to consume the structure. Fire spit at Jacen as he flew by, and the smoke stung his eyes and lungs, but he pushed back the tears, unclipped his lightsaber and ignited the blade.

He looked like a demon wielding a sword of fire. Smoke curled in torrents around him, and were tinted an eerie red from the light of the blade.

Cornered between her attacker and her apprentice, Adelaide didn't know whether to be awed or horrified.

Her distraction proved to be a mistake.

As soon as she turned toward Jacen, the figure fired. Automatically, Adelaide whipped her lightsaber up to block the shot, but she was too slow.

The laser hit her in the gut. It was a fatal wound.

She doubled over, and her saber fell from her suddenly numb hands. It clattered distantly as it hit the ground.

Adelaide looked at Jacen briefly, and then fell over. She lay, unmoving, at her attacker's feet.

When he felt his master's Force presence weaken and slip away, Jacen snapped.

He didn't give his enemy time to react. He leapt, arching his weapon high above him, and swiftly brought it down as he landed.

And was suddenly thrust backward as the lightsaber inexplicably rebounded off the person's armor.

Jacen stumbled and blinked. He stared first at his weapon, then at the person who was supposed to be laying in two pieces on the ground.

Boba Fett stared back at the young jedi. His gun was raised at Jacen's chest, his finger perilously close to the trigger.

Jacen spluttered. "You – "

Fett didn't waste words, or time. He shot at Jacen, and the blue laser headed straight towards the jedi's face.

Jacen dropped to the ground, vaguely recalling a similar situation the first time he'd met Fett. He rolled to avoid another shot from the bounty hunter, and jumped to his feet.

So, Fett was trying to stun him.

That was okay; at least the bounty hunter wasn't trying to kill him. Then again, Jacen didn't really want to know what the man had in store for him if he did manage to capture him.

He blocked two more shots and spun, intent on getting close enough to the man to either disarm or decapitate him. He really didn't care which.

Jacen thrust his saber forward, preparing to cut Fett's gun in half. The bounty hunter fired at the same time.

There was the distinctive smell of carbon scouring, sparks flew, and Jacen's lightsaber made a horrible hissing noise. Then it exploded.

Jacen yelped and dropped the weapon; Fett covered his face with his free arm as a bright light briefly filled his vision.

Apparently Fett had also aimed to disarm his opponent. And it had worked.

His master was dead, his was lightsaber gone, and one of the galaxy's most feared and deadly bounty hunters was less than three feet away with a gun aimed at his chest.

At least Jacen still had the presence of mind to swear.

_Oh, kriff!_

He ran. Blaster fire followed him, and Jacen ducked, flipped, and spun to avoid Fett's annoyingly accurate shots.

Mid-duck, an idea formed in Jacen's head. Without stopping, he sprinted toward Frar's house and disappeared into the thick smoke.

Jacen immediately started coughing as smoke filled his lungs. He yanked his shirt up over his mouth and closed his eyes. Fighting off his better instincts, Jacen edged toward the still-burning house. He didn't know if Fett had any heat-sensors, but if he did, he was less likely to find the jedi if he was close to a raging inferno.

This was incredibly stupid, but Jacen hoped that his little disappearing act would buy him some time.

But now what was he to do? It was becoming increasingly difficult to breathe, and the heat was nearly unbearable. Jacen calmed his rising fears, and reestablished his connection to the Force that he'd broken in his mad dash into the smoke.

With the Force, Jacen was able to sense Fett's location. The bounty hunter was making his way slowly away from the house. Apparently it hadn't yet occurred to him that his quarry would seek refuge in a burning building.

Jacen smiled. This was what he needed. He summoned his master's lightsaber from where it lay on the ground. It flew to his open hand, which he gripped like the lifeline it was. Then he cautiously followed Fett's Force signature into the maze of smoke.

After a few minutes of blind walking, Jacen smiled.

_There you are._

He reached out with the Force and used it to push Fett. Almost instantly Jacen jumped into the air, thumbing his saber on as he tumbled over the surprised bounty hunter.

Fett whipped around and fired. A deadly red laser shot into the smoke.

_Guess he's done playing around_, Jacen thought as he landed behind Fett. He swung at the bounty hunter, but Fett noticed the glow from the blue blade in his visor and activated his jet pack.

Jacen stumbled back from the sudden heat and raised his saber just in time to absorb a shot from the now airborne Fett. Fett flew out of the smoke, and Jacen had no choice but to follow.

Deciding that he'd had enough, Jacen came out swinging. His borrowed lightsaber thrummed as the young jedi twirled the weapon violently.

Once more, he swung at Fett. Once more, the saber bounced off the Mandalorian armor.

But Jacen knew this, and aimed a powerful kick at the man's midsection.

Fett went down. Hard.

Before the bounty hunter could so much as turn, Jacen poised his lightsaber at the man's throat.

Wisely, Fett froze.

Breathing hard, Jacen asked him, "Why are you hunting me?"

The words came out a little hoarse; his throat still burned from inhaling too much smoke.

When he didn't answer, Jacen became irritated.

"If you don't tell me, I'll kill you."

"Not today, jedi."

Fett was fast, but he was no match against the angry, Force-wielding jedi. Before Fett even lifted it, his gun was ripped from his hand and flew into Jacen's, who promptly shot the bounty hunter.

Jacen stared down at the man who'd almost killed him twice now, his face twisted into an expression of disgust.

"You weren't worth it," he said and turned away, disengaging his lightsaber.

He left the unconscious bounty hunter where he was.

X

Hours later, Jacen was in space, headed away from Kothilis.

The battle and his master's death had worn him out, but there was no time to rest. According to the information he'd found on Fett's ship, Luke, Leia, and Han were in danger. Apparently they were wanted as badly as he was, and so the Empire had set a trap for them at Cloud City.

Jacen was determined to get to the mining facility before the Empire, and warn his friends.

He punched in the coordinates for the Anoat Sector, Bespin System, and made the jump to lightspeed.

The lightsaber hanging on his belt swung against his thigh as the ship shuddered at the jump, and Jacen's thoughts turned to his master, now buried on Kothilis.

His gaze hardened. The Empire had taken many things from him: his homeworld, his parents, and his master. But it wouldn't take his friends.

"I'm coming, guys," Jacen said aloud, projecting his thoughts through the Force, as if somehow his friends would hear and respond.

But there was no answer, only the chaotic swirling of hyperspace and the quiet hum of the ship as Jacen sped toward Bespin.

X

**AN: **I know it's been a while. Nearly four years, to be exact. I don't have any excuses for my long absence, other than I got tired of this story and abandoned it. Now, I have decided to finish it. If there is enough interest, I will move on to Part Three. For all of you out there who remember the original, thanks for sticking with me, despite my horrendous neglect of both you and this story.


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